Unexpected Allies
by emeralddarkness
Summary: Naraku plays one of his tricks and... Inuyasha: I heard the faint creaking of a bow from behind me. I swung around, not trusting my nose. "Kagome?" multiple pov! [(kagsess) (complete)] Look for sequel, Wheel Turning!
1. Prelude: KANNA SPEAKS!

WARNING!: This fic contains spoiler content up until right after Inu's fight with Ryuukokutsi. Also, if you are against Sess/Kag pairings, you may not want to read this but I personally got sick of all the Inu/Kag parings out there (there are WAY too many) and decided to do something different. So deal.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters. If I did, I would not be writing this.  
  
Prelude: KANNA SPEAKS!!!!  
  
The small warlock was nearly bursting with pride that the lord had chosen him for this work. "This mirror, my lord, will hold the soul of any demon, even if it were the size of 15 or even 20 normal souls. You have chosen the right man. I do hope that this will solve your problem."  
  
The young noble looked up and smiled in a way that would be called evil on anyone but the lord. "Oh, I am sure that it will solve my... demon troubles. Kanna, take the mirror."  
  
The small albino girl took the object and examined it critically before nodding slightly to the man behind her and fastening her gaze on the person in front of her. "Thank you," she uttered calmly. "This should be just fine."  
  
The shopkeeper shivered slightly. Those black eyes could cause frost in July. Perhaps she wouldn't be so cold if she were not an orphan. According to village gossip she had once been apprenticed to a miko who used magical mirrors to seal the souls of demons away and had finished her training at a remarkably young age because her village was surrounded by vicious and cruel youkai. She had only just become a master when she answered a plea for help from a nearby town and returned to her own settlement to find everyone in the place slaughtered. The little girl had afterwards wandered Japan until the lord had found her and employed her to control local demons for him. Normally she could just use the equipment that she had received upon graduation, but recently she had come across a demon with a huge soul, and so had to have a new mirror with more room made.  
  
As the money was finally exchanged the mage's thoughts flashed to the hairline crack riddling the enchanted object. No need to tell them, whispered a small corner of his mind. They will only pay less, or go to someone else. No demon alive could break out of the mirror anyway, not with the number of purification spells you put on it. They don't need to know. Best keep quiet. This reasoning grew on him until it won him over and he smiled his customers out of the shop with a cheery "Come again!"  
  
Naraku smiled sadistically as he climbed into his carriage. He had all the little pieces of his trap now, all that he had to do was set it.  
  
The same malicious grin flickered across his features for the second time. 2 annoying, potentially dangerous enemies defeated in one brilliant stroke with no need to even sully his hands. All he needed to do now was have Kagura and Kanna take a Shikon shard to the local village and have a lower youkai deliver a little message.... 


	2. Chapter 1: Of Monsters, Mirrors and Miss...

Hey! Have patience with me on this fic, please. This is my first one and so I am not really that good yet. As this story is written in multiple pov, ~.~.~.~.~. says that the pov is changing. To save confusion, the name of the person who we are currently in is written right after the little change thing. Please review me, as this is the only way that I can actually know if someone has been reading, and I will probably need ideas in the future. I do have the next coulpla chapters planed though. If you have any Qs, ask me and I will try to answer them. ;o  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own this shiny penny! Ooo a nickel!  
  
Chapter 1: Of Monsters, Mirrors, and Missing Persons  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
I was livid. I was so mad that I was actually shaking with rage. Now, when you get me showing any emotion at all, you can know without a doubt that I am feeling pretty strongly, but if you EVER get me this furious, that you had best start running. Run far, far away because you will suffer at least one slow and painful death. It is not exactly the best thing that you can do for your health to get me angry at all, but this mad....  
  
The reason that my calm mask had been ripped away was quite understandable, if not at first obvious.  
  
2 days ago Rin had disappeared. I had left her with Jaken and gone to find some low level youkai who had somehow forgotten that they needed to follow my rules and were slaughtering villages of humans for kicks and giggles. Normally I would not have minded, but said villages were part of the western lands, and thus my property. And disrespect to my things was disrespect to me. This meant only one thing. The demons had to be made examples of.  
  
I had found them quickly but decided that rather than go for the direct kill I would rather amuse myself. For almost half a day I had played with them, like a cat plays with a mouse, before finally giving them the slow and painful deaths that they deserved.  
  
I had been feeling fairly good after that, having released the stress that being a taiyoukai brings, before I arrived at the clearing that I had left my companions in and found a unconscious Jaken, a meadow that stank of youki and a missing Rin.  
  
Amusement had disintegrated into panic and I had quickly "helped" my retainer to wake. I questioned him as to what had happened and he had told me that he had sensed youki approaching at enormous speeds. He had been preparing the staff of heads when a great wind had arisen, knocking loose a tree branch that had fallen on his head. The toad had wilted under the gaze that I had given him and begun jabbering on about forgiving him and how he had at least learned that the demon had been coming from the east, and about how it had been a wind demon. I began to feel a headache coming on, and commanding him to be silent I cast about for a sent.  
  
Unfortunately she was a smart one. She had never touched the ground, and so there was only a faint smell of breezes and clouds, with a touch of demonic energy mixed in. I had begun tracking, vowing to kill the being that had been so insolent, but not unduly worried about the safety of the child, assuming that she had been taken as a hostage to manipulate me. If this had been the case, than she would have been valuable and would not have been harmed.  
  
It had been the message delivered by the lizard youkai that morning that had thrown me into a demonic rage.  
  
At the moment, I was only capable of forming one thought. Naraku will die for this.  
  
The note had been simple enough, saying only, "I have her. Find her and I may consider giving her back, at a price, of course." The letter had been signed Naraku. While this alone was enough to get me plenty mad, it had been what had accompanied it that had flung me into all the fury of a demon. It was a small hand, about the size of a 5-year-olds that had smelled of daisies and peach blossoms. Rin's sent.  
  
What I had done to the lizard had brought whole new meaning to the phrase "kill the messenger," although I did not just kill him. No, what I did was tear him limb from limb, bring him back to life, crush his skull, healed him again, melt him sssslllloooowwwlllyyyy with my poison, and rip out his spine. I would have done more, but I needed to find Rin, and quickly. She would NOT be hurt again.  
  
As I said earlier, it is not at all beneficial to your health to get me mad.  
  
It had not exactly been hard to follow the trail of the lizard, which was a good thing, seeing as how I couldn't think clearly enough to track unless it WAS obvious. I raced on, top speed, going so fast that human eyes would detect nothing but a blur while imagining the various punishments that I would inflict upon Naraku when I got my hands on him.  
  
Vengeance would be sweet.  
  
I slowed as I reached a cave, and stepped quietly to the entrance. As I smelled the air my eyes burned red again. Rin was here all right. Her sent was here, although faint, and almost covered by a stench of blood that was so strong that a human would be able to smell it. I curled my lip in disgust and stepped into the cavern, following the thin trail that was Rin.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
I turned, strung an arrow and loosed it all in one fluid movement.  
  
"Inuyasha! Shikon shard coming!"  
  
The battle raged around me as I fitted yet another arrow to my string and shot at the things circling above us. It hit.  
  
"Yes." I hissed under my breath as I watched the female dissolve into the piercing white light with one final shriek. They were true monsters, with bodies like giant crows made of burnished steel and human chests and heads. Razor sharp teeth flashed as they shrieked and cawed, and all of them had blood caked to teeth and talons, with liberal amounts smeared on the human portions of their anatomy. Human blood, as Inuyasha had told us grimly when we approached.  
  
"Everybody back!" roared Miroku as he ripped the rosary beads off his arm. "I've had enough of this!"  
  
Everyone else did the sensible thing and got behind him as quickly as they knew how, it not being the best of ideas to stay in front of him when he did this. But who ever accused me of being sensible?  
  
I swung around and grabbed his hand. "Miroku, No! You'll cut your palm again!"  
  
He blinked and than grinned. "Why Kagome, I didn't know you cared."  
  
I stared at the hand that was latched onto his for a few seconds and than ripped it away faster than I would have had his hand suddenly turned into a huge hairy tarantula, suddenly blushing furiously, while Miroku continued to leer at me and in the background Inuyasha's eyes got narrower and narrower while he started to bear his teeth.  
  
The shrieking caw shattered the sudden hush and brought us suddenly back to the present and reminded everyone why all of this had started.  
  
"Not to worry, I know what to do this time!" he yelled as he swung me behind him and opened his right hand to the sky. A rush of wind like a hurricane screamed into the sky and pulled all of the creatures into the hole. "Sometimes," he commented wryly as he swung the beads back over his arm, "an air rip can be a useful thing to have."  
  
"YOU IDIOT!!!!!" exploded Inuyasha.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Here we go again.  
  
"KAGOME SENSED A SHIKON SHARD AROUND HERE!!!!! YOU MAY HAVE JUST LOST IT PERMANANTLY!!!! I COULD HAVE TAKEN...."  
  
I half listened as he ranted on and my annoyance at the baka-hanyou grew. I let it slide until it started looking as though the dog was about to beat up the monk, and that was when I lost my temper.  
  
"Inuyasha no baka? SIT!!!" I yelled furiously as I swung around, thinking of what a jerk he had been the past 4 days. "Did you EVER consider that I sensed that shard a long time AFTER we met those things?!?!?!?!?!?! Just because Miroku touched me...."  
  
It went on like that for a while, me a miniature volcano vocally beating up the hanyou who was sitting very still with a what-did-I-do expression on his face. It may have been funny if I weren't so mad.  
  
I finally let out some undistinguishable noise halfway between a roar and a snarl, swung around, and began marching off in the direction of the bone eater well.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
I stepped into a passage near the back of the cave and walked the length of it, finally coming to a small wooden door fit into the stone. I smelled the air carefully before approaching, and there was no one but Rin behind it.  
  
I tried opening the gate, but found it locked. Hmm. A problem. I proceeded to rip the door off its hinges. Problem solved. Walking in I saw a small black haired figure crumpled in a heap against the wall and another girl, this one white everywhere, standing in front of her. I stiffened in shock as I felt a curious tug at my soul. My limbs lost their energy and I crumpled to the floor, but all that I could think was how? How? But h....  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
I fumed as I stormed toward home thinking murderous thoughts about the stupid, infuriating, dog-breathed jerk. I calmed down slightly as I walked, and after 15 minutes, I as almost feeling like myself again. I was feeling sane enough, at least, to remember that there was a Shikon shard on the loose hereabouts. Casting out my senses, I was in for a shock. It was right behind me? I looked incredulously toward my back and swung around only to see little Kanna standing there holding her mirror at me. I raised my eyes to heaven. Why me? Why don't they EVER learn that the whole ha-ha-ha-now- your-soul-is-trapped-in-my-mirror tricks don't work on me?  
  
Looking down I stared uninterestedly at the mirror, waiting for it to soak up all of my soul that it could and stop. But, for some reason, it didn't. One thing about getting your soul extracted, you remember quite well when it stops because it is quite a strange feeling, to say the least. And yet it didn't stop where it should. It was then that I saw the extra mirror that the girl was toting and began to feel that I was in over my head. As my limbs weakened, that rushing sensation filled my senses until all I could hear was rushing and all I could see was rushing and all I could feel was rushing and as I fell to the ground the rushing continued and continued and continued even as I blacked out.  
  
******  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!! 


	3. Chapter 2: Souls and Swords

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu yasha or the charecters. My mommy won't buy them for me.  
  
Alrighty, I started out this fic with the intent of only doing Kag/Sess pov, but that will not work. So we are going to be getting everyone. Still love me? ;)  
  
Chapter 2: Of Souls and Swords  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Miroku  
  
The rest of the group and I stood trying in vain to conceal the amused grins creeping across our collective faces as we watched Inu yasha. The hanyou was crouching, wide-eyed and trembling, in the exact position that he had been in when Kagome had stomped off.  
  
"Well," I said, struggling valiantly not to laugh as I watched the hapless dog, "that was a bit sudden, but you had it coming Inu yasha."  
  
This statement shook him out of his paralysis and he jumped up as though he had tried to sit on one of those porcupines that Kagome had once described. I winced, fully expecting to be shortly receiving a blow that packed a near lethal punch, but he seemed to have forgotten all about me. Strange.  
  
"CRAP!!!! WHAT DOES SHE THINK SHE'S DOING?!?!?!?!?!?!?! THERE'S A SHIKON SHARD OUT THERE!!!!!"  
  
Oh. Not so strange then.  
  
This cultured, melodious phrase was still floating serenely on the breeze when he took off, leaving behind dust devils that even Kouga would have to admire. The rest of the group (being mere mortals without our love at stake) had to clamber up onto Kirrara to have even a slight chance of arriving before the half-demon managed to get both himself and Kagome killed.  
  
"Demon coming up! The woods have emptied of all the creatures! And that means that we have a battle!" came the excited voice of Sango.  
  
"Mmmmphggty aaaannnnzumoooo." The fox's ability to communicat was hampered by the large piece of sticky candy that he was currently trying to loose from his jaws.  
  
"Gnooochiiiii bbbbluuuuuokedin!"  
  
I sighed and raised my eyes toward heaven. Why did it feel like I was the only sane one in the group?  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inu yasha  
  
I blazed up to Kagome just as she was standing up, and while she looked a bit dusty, she was almost normal aside from that. Almost. Her eyes looked flat and empty, not their usual state at all. However, I did not have time to worry about that.  
  
"KAGOME!!! What the ---- do you mean, running off like that with a Shikon shard so close?!? What the...."  
  
My voice trailed off as the scents of the area hit me and I began to growl deep in my throat.  
  
"Naraku. Or at least one of his incarnations or puppets. He wouldn't have the backbone to come himself."  
  
Kagura, chuckling quietly, stepped out from behind a nearby tree with her red and white fan unfurled. "Keh, are you losing your sense of smell, mutt? I've been here for nearly half an hour."  
  
"I can smell you all too well," my voice was shaking with suppressed rage and barely audable, even to my sensitive ears, "as you positivly REEK of Naraku!!!"  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
When I awoke, I was confused. 'Where am I?' This was like no place that I had even been before.  
  
It was a large window-and-doorless mirrored dome with tendrils of mist snaking their way across the ground and around my legs and the trunk of the only other landmark. Aside from the huge maple tree in the exact center there was only me and the mist and the light winking, shining, shivering across the walls and ceiling. It was enough to drive anyone mad.  
  
I had just begun pondering what I was doing here again when the most ridiculous idea struck me like a thunder bolt. Ridiculous, and you somehow undeniably true.  
  
I, Sesshoumaru-sama, taiyoukai of western lands, was being held prisoner.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inu yasha  
  
With these words I whipped out Tetsusaiga and felt my youki ripple down the blade even as it was being drawn, transforming it into its true state.  
  
"DANCE OF THE DRAGON WINDS!!!"  
  
Dozens of the deadly tornados instanly came screaming from the sky and began pulverizing the ground around me while I blocked any that came too near with my fang. After this having gone on only about a minuate Kagura, for reasons unknown to me, twitched her fan, dispursing the wind, a small sadistic smile playing on her lips.  
  
That was odd. Normally she loved to watch her winds chase me around as (and I can only assume) payback for using the cutting wind on her.  
  
The faint creaking of a bow being drawn from behind me reached my ears. I spun around, not trusting my nose.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
She smiled maliciously at me and pulled the string back another inch.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
It could not be. None would so dare. And yet someone had. That they would have such nerve took my breath away.  
  
Fury pored off me and bashed at my prison, washing, pounding like a tsunami, trying to find any way out of this place be it walls or ceiling. Acting as though I could always wield my very rage as a fist I added my demonic energy and beat at my surroundings until I wa half-drained. I had not needed to use so much of my youki since I was only 64, when I had been fighting that demon that would heal amost as soon as you attacked.  
  
As I stood pulling what energy I had not burned back into me glossomer bubbles of all sizes, from ones as big as cherrys to ones a large as myself in human form, began to burst from the walls and fill the room, mixing and splitting like oil in water.  
  
Just when it looked like the room would run out the flood slowed to a trickle and than stopped altogether.  
  
Good.  
  
It would be rather disconcerting to be standing in a bubble of what I suspect is soul.  
  
**********  
  
Review me, or else I will think that no one likes this fic and will stop it. 


	4. Chapter 3: The Dances of Demons

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sometimes, I cry.  
  
Chapter 3: Of Dances and Demons  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sango  
  
I let out a noise halfway between a gasp and a cry of shock. How I managed that I shall never know, as for one you inhale and the other you exhale, but somehow I did it. I had been distracted by trying not to fall off Kirrara with suprize, maybe thats why I can't remember.  
  
Kagome had a bow leveled at the heart of Inu yasha who had just stepped back in shock, his eyes dark and shrouded with his feelings of hurt and betrayal. Just what was going of? Why weren't they fighting Kagura, who was standing right next to them?  
  
"Why are you doing this Kagome?" I cried, a desprate note of pleading in my voice as I sought any explination for this madness.  
  
She ignored me. Kagome, my closest friend, she acted as though I did not exist, merely pulling back the string on her weapon a few inches further before firing at point-blank range.  
  
I screamed.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
The drops of power floated around my prison for a few seconds before a marked change came across all of them. At once, all of them began glowing either a brilliant blue-white or a shining soft green. All of the orbs were giving off a light that was so intence that you could not look at them by themselfs, but there were all of them shining together and reflecting off the walls. The light was too bright. It was seering my eyes, even through my eyelids. It hurt.  
  
I thanked the gods when that burning light died down after only one minuate of this torture.  
  
When I looked at the bubbles again they had begun to gather at the top of the room and spin around a shape like two dimonds on top of another and were casting small, hair-like strands onto it. As it grew more and more while becoming more difined as the shape of a girl the blue and green seemed to battle for power in the form, growing and shrinking as they lashed out at another. (A/N: Blue-white=Kagome Green=Kikyou. Got it?) As one gained a brief dominance, small changes were wrought upon the figure. When blue was in force, her hair was shorter and free fowing while when green was, it became longer and was tied back. There were also changes in the outfit, from that of a traditional miko to a thing that looked like that indecent kimono Inu yasha's woman always wore.  
  
When all of the globes had finally spun themselfs into the girl a flash of white that was brighter than the sun at noonday and burned my skin blazed from her. When the light subsided the girl had black hair that was floating around her and looked like Inu yasha's woman, outfit included.  
  
Blue fox-fire surrounded her and she floated down as if she was in water and finally touched ground where she crumpled and fell. I walked over and looked down.  
  
Azure eyes snapped open.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inu yasha  
  
I needed to work on my reflexes. Really. They were not nearly fast enough, as I learned when I tried to dodge that arrow of Kagome's.  
  
Oh, I was fast enought to avoid a fatal blow, certainly, but not fast enough to dodge it altogether. The arrow had ripped clear through my shoulder and all of a sudden I was down one arm.(A/N: Kagome has no soul, she can make no sacred arrows. Make sense?)  
  
Great.  
  
That was just what I needed, to only have the use of one arm AGAIN in a battle with Kagura.  
  
*Sigh* Why do these things always happen at such inopportune moments? It was just what I wanted to have the power of the wind scar cut in half in the middle of a battle against on of the tougher opponents I have had the misfortune to face.  
  
"Not that that shouldn't be enough to defeat you!" I roared as I swung around.  
  
In one fluid movement I cut the string on Kagome's bow, (this being the extent of movement that I could do with my right arm) twirled to face my enemy and cut down with the Tetsusaiga.  
  
"KASI NO KIO!!!"  
  
The wench was actually smiling outright as my attack ripped toward her.  
  
Uh-oh. That was not a good sign.  
  
Just before the wound in the wind reached her she swung around to reveal Kanna.  
  
Nope. Defiantly not a good sign.  
  
I leaped into the air, the sounds of Kagome and Kirrara doing the same ringing in my ears, just as I noticed that Kanna was carrying not one mirror, but 2. Why on earth was she doing that? (A/N: Mirror 1 can do reflecting attacks, scrying, ext., mirror #2 can only absorb souls as it was made for that purpose. That is why she needs 2 mirrors.)  
  
Kagura snickered evilly and flicked her fan. "Good-bye, half-breed."  
  
Man, I hate it when the enemy snickers evilly. It always means something unpleasent is about to happen.  
  
"Inu yasha," came Kagome's blank-sounding voice from behind me, "sit."  
  
See what I mean?  
  
As I was hurtled to the ground and the cutting wind my hands formed into fists. This would hurt.  
  
As I hit the ground my claws dug deep into my own palms and my eyes went blank with pain as the wind scar enveloped me and threw me into the sky again.  
  
Ouchie. 


	5. Chapter 4: Plans and Plotting

'__' is thought, "__" is talk. Sorry about not telling you that earlier. Oh, and as I have been using some Japanese in this fic: baka- stupid, idiot. (It can also mean cow, but.... nevermind) -sama- term of great respect. If somone refers to themselfs as _____-sama, than they think VERY highly of themselves inu- dog. Hence Inu yasha nani- what? huh? You get the idea hanyou- half-demon youki- demon energy youkai- demon miko- priestess Kasi no Kio- Literally, the wound in the wind or the cutting wind. Tetsusaiga's almost ultimate attack Byakuyuuha- Tetsusaiga's ultimate attack Did I miss any?  
  
Chapter 4: Of Plans and Plotting  
  
Disclaimer: I own exclusve rights to my kindergarten finger-paintings and little else.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Naraku  
  
I smiled malitiously. Good. All was going according to plan. I now had the souls and bodys of both Sesshoumaru and Kagome, the only enemys (aside from Kikyo) who had ever caused me even slight cause for worry. And I had the perfect plan to dispose of them. Most of it had even already worked, that is, all of the important bits were out of the way.  
  
"Ku ku ku ku...." (A/N: wondering about the "ku ku ku"? Don't worry, you did read right, it is a japanese evil laugh.)  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
'WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS WAS SESSHOUMARU DOING STANDING OVER ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?! And, less importantly, WHERE ON EARTH AM I?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!'  
  
I scooted back as fast as I could as I pulled myself into a sitting position and felt for my bow and arrows.  
  
Oh.  
  
Crap.  
  
I didn't have them. I suppose that having your soul sucked out of you may tend to leave weapons behind, but NOT HAVING ANY WEAPON when facing down the FREAKIN' LORD OF THE WESTERN LANDS and one of the MOST POWERFUL DEMONS OF ALL TIME was not the best of ideas. Perhaps I had better do my best to appise him then.  
  
"Uuhhhhhhhh, Hi."  
  
Oh, boy. Now he was looking annoyed. He was showing emotion. Not a good sign. Why oh why had I been the girl sent back to the era where you needed to be an ambassator? Polotics had NEVER been my strong point, and now I am forced on an almost daily basis to waltz to the complicated dance.  
  
Come to it I've never been that good at waltzing either.  
  
Oh, right. Respect. He was glaring daggers at me as I hurredly added, "Sesshoumaru-sama. Sorry. About not saying that earlier, I mean. Because you know, I just woke up and all....never mind."  
  
He started looking happier when I remembered his title and then gave me that smirk when I started babbling. You know the one. That, "you amuse me and that is the only reason that I, who am in charge of all, let you live. Because you amuse me."  
  
Gosh, I hate that smirk. I used to be okay with it, until Sesshoumaru started giving it to me, Inu yasha, Shippo, Sango, Miroku and everyone else we happened to be with every time we met, and Inu yasha started doling it out to all practically EVERY DAY. It just gets flat-out annoying.  
  
"You jerk!" I snapped as I slapped his cheek. Or at least attemted to. Naturally, being a demon and all, he blocked my hand with his looooooooooong before it came even close to his head, but still. Why is it that at times I am such an impulsive person? WHY? All that I had gotten for my pains was a hand cut deeply across the palm and a royally pissed demon.  
  
I watched a few drops of blood trikle down his pinky and the side of his hand, from the small gash that had appeared where I had struck him.  
  
As my hand had been glowing.  
  
Like that time with Misteress Centipede.  
  
Ho boy. I was in for it now.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inu yasha  
  
I had only been in the path of the cutting wind once before and it had NOT been something that I had wished to repeat. Ever.  
  
In order to recreate the feeling you would have to have thousands fo needles punch through you at once while a similar number of razor blades slashed you from all sides in a strong wind heavily laden with salt followed immediatly by a nice long lemon-juice bath. Only it hurt more.  
  
It was not the most pleasent thing to go through, to say the least.  
  
I hung in the air for almost a full minuate feeling like I was slowly being ripped apart befoe the attack finally faded and dropped me like some forgotton toy. For once I was not miffed at being ignored.  
  
As I pushed myself up I thanked my lucky star (which had to have been shining on me just minuates before) that the power of Tetsusaiga HAD been halfed. If I hadn't than I would be hurting a lot more now and probably wouldn't be able to move. And if I had used Byakuyuuha....  
  
Kagome touched down just as I finally managed to manuver myself into a sitting position and I gazed quesioningly at her, trying despratly to keep the hurt from my eyes.  
  
"Kagome, why?"  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagura  
  
I smirked. That baka inu still aparently thought that Kagome had her soul, aka, she was still herself. Well, why not torture him some more? I subtally shifted my fan and and the girl looked down at the hanyou jeeringly as a mocking smile played on her soft mouth.  
  
"Baka. Why do you think? I grew tired of you endlessly telling me what to do, where to go, how to dress. I've found my real friends."  
  
I smiled as a gasp and a choked sob came from the humans who were sitting a few feet away. Ahhhh, it felt good to cause that idiot some pain. Instant stress relief.  
  
But enough fun, time to remind him of the real enemy. Me.  
  
"DANCE OF THE WIND BLADES!" 


	6. Chapter 5: Of Weapons and Warriors

midori mizo? I AM REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! YOU ARE MY FIRST REVIEW! Ya really think it's so good? Do you have any pointers?  
  
Surprised about my little "Kagura's pov thing?" Or Naraku's? I did say that I would be doing all of the characters..  
  
Now, time for a little catching up. I'm sorry, but almost all of this chapter will be devoted to the action around Inu, because I have to get this next bit done in order to get on with the plot. I got a bit ahead of myself with the whole thing, but I promise that I will give you more Sess/Kag next chapter if you review!  
  
Chapter 5: Of Wounds and Weapons  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
My mind was in turmoil. Kagome would never join Naraku. Never! So why was she saying that she had? She hated him as much as the rest of us did-or, at least, she had in the past. Had I acted so badly that she had turned on my to hurt me, no matter who her allies were so long as they too hated me? But that made no sense! No more then the rest of it.  
  
She couldn't have gone over to Naraku. It just was not her! But if she hadn't, why had she shot me? And if she had joined them. why now? There were other times that would have been much more likely, like all those times with Kikyo, and yet she had remained loyal then. So why?  
  
I watched the blades of air rip toward me as if in a dream. The only reason that I was not sliced'n'diced was Miroku ran up next to me and sucked all of the deadly breezes into his hand, whipping the rosary beads back around his wrist immediately after as to avoid hurting anything or one else. Like Kagome.  
  
"Kagome! I will give you one last chance! Leave here, do not side with Naraku! If you choose to, then you will die with him and his other allies."  
  
Kagome snorted derisively in perfect syncronation with Kagura. A suspician began to creep into my mind, but I shoved it aside. 'Don't be stupid Inu yasha. There's no way. That has been proven more then once by now. Stop grabbing at excuses.'  
  
"Miroku, do you really think that Kanna has no souls in her mirror?" Kagome sneered, a disgusted look on her face.  
  
Miroku hesitated a second before answering, wearing a pained look. Whatever he was feeling, it couldn't be half so bad as what I was. My heart had been ripped from my chest and thrown across the road, where it had been stomped on unmercifully.  
  
"There cannot be too many, and anything is better then eternal imprisonment."  
  
Kagura rolled her eyes. "Caring little creatures you humans, aren't you? Would you change your attitude if I told you that the person being held in there is not just faceless person that you have never known and never will?"  
  
"What are you talking about?!"  
  
"Me."  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
When the little human girl did the thing that few dared to do and fewer lived through, I, for once in my long life, was stunned. That she would have such nerve simultaneously enraged and intrigued me. I decided that I needed to find out the capabilities of this female.  
  
I growled softly and smiled inside at her reaction. She was backing up slowly and feeling for her bow. Smart move. She knew that I would almost defiantly kill her for being so insolent and she knew that she would have no chance of defending herself without a weapon. 'Good thinking girl, smart move.' I allowed my yokai to flow through me, making my markings that declared I was Taiyoukai of the Western Lands glow softly and my entire form to be encased in a light green glow. Her eyes widened before hardening and she began glowing a radiant blue-white in return.  
  
A drop of water balanced on the end of a leaf for a few seconds before falling toward earth.  
  
Instantly I flashed forward and slashed at her with my claws, poison on each tip. A blue-white katana that came from nowhere whistled through the air to block my arm and force me back, simultaneously weakening the limb (Oh, and Sesshoumaru has both of his arms for now as this is his soul that we are talking about) and dissolving my poison with the miko energy. Immediately after she followed through, slashing at the same arm. The strike was a bit off-a fact for which I was glad-but she managed to slice the bottom bit of me sleeve off.  
  
My eyes widened. She was good. Much better then I would have expected her to be.  
  
The drop of water hit the ground with a soft splash.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inu yasha  
  
I started, my eyes approaching the size of dinner plates. She had Kagome's soul. So then she had control of Kagome. So nothing that Kagome had said or done recently had been Kagome, it had been Kagura. Which meant that she was just using her control over Kagome to torture me.  
  
Why that-  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagura  
  
I smiled, my eyes beginning to glow a soft red with my bloodlust as the dog began to get more and more enraged. Ah, at last. Inuyasha was back in his normal fighting style. He would move now.  
  
He lept towards me, flailing Tetsusaiga wildly. Kagome-or, rather, her body- of course, jumped in front of me, shielding me from any possible attacks that the hanyou could throw at me. He swerved away, sheathing his sword again as soon as he saw the human barrier. My smile broadened. Good people are so easy to manipulate.  
  
And now for a little fun.  
  
I straightened my fan, opened my mouth and, "Dance of the Drag-"  
  
Kagura, do not fight. Come back to the cave.  
  
"What?! WHY?! I could finish them all off now!"  
  
My heart squeezed painfully and I dropped to writhe like a snake on the ground, my hand on my chest where my heart would be if not for that thief Naraku.  
  
I do not need you to "get rid of all of them." None of them but that girl are a bother. Bring her with you. I have some rather special plans for her.  
  
"Take the girl? But that-"  
  
My heart tightened like steel bonds were around it again.  
  
"Fine." I snapped bad temperedly, climbing back onto my feet. "Curse you, Naraku." I whispered, then doubled over, clutching at my chest again.  
  
Good. Hurry.  
  
I pulled a feather from my hair and threw it on the ground in front of me, a small whirlwind dancing up where it landed. When it finally cleared, there was a giant feather, which was identical to the smaller one in every aspect but size, lying in front of me. I climbed and kneeled, a suit followed rapidly by Kanna and the girl.  
  
The (ehem) rather unique form of transport rose into the air and drifted toward the clouds.  
  
************* As always, I love you, I want to update the story, but for me to do that, I need a review. Just one mind you, but I want one review-per-chapter. At least. 


	7. Chapter 6: Fight and Flight

Yea, yea, insert standard disclaimer here.  
  
Chapter 6: Fight and Flight  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
My eyes widened and I stared at the sword in my hand.  
  
Ok, where did that come from?  
  
Oh yea, and how did I learn to use it?  
  
I mean, I like the sword and all, but the bow has always been my area of expertise. I can count on one hand the times IN MY LIFE, mind you, that I have even held a sword, let alone swung one. So why am I now Xena, Warrior Princess?  
  
Almost unconsciously I shifted back into ready position. The weight of the katana was amazing, it was like a feather or a whisp of cloud. And then that light.. Realization hit me like a thunderbolt.  
  
Doi.  
  
Hello, Kagome.  
  
The sword is made from your power, and the swordplay comes from the blade itself. Feeling slightly more confident I looked Sesshoumaru in the face and was in for another shock.  
  
He was looking surprised. Yes, Sesshoumaru, the great lord of Western Lands, oh mighty he of the perfect poker face, was actually showing emotion. I was kinda proud of myself for being the one who had gotten him to give such a display. It didn't last long though. He smoothed his expression back to perfect calmness, with that hint of pride and haughtiness, that-lets face it-aside from the moon were his trademark symbol. Right after he flashed forward again.  
  
I reacted instantly, darting forward like a sparrow to duck under his arm and brining the sword up to slash at his torso.  
  
It was eerie, fighting, because it was like I was a bystander. I was just standing there, watching my body in the fight of the century. Kinda cool in a way, if you thought about it. Although I had a problem. I-despite everything-did not want Sesshoumaru killed, but with the speed that I was reacting to his attacks, I could easily seriously harm him. I may want to incapacitate him-partially for revenge, partially for self-defense, after all, I couldn't let him just keep on attacking me-but kill him? No. So, I needed to experiment. If I could make a sword, could I make other things?  
  
I let my energy flow back into my flesh.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
"No, Kagome!!!!!!" I screamed, running after the feather and leaping into the air in a desperate attempt to reach her. A desperate attempt, that, sadly enough, failed.  
  
At that point, each drop of blood that I lost felt like anther ton added to my shoulders and I fell to the ground where I leaked more of my precious blood.  
  
'Oh, look! The ground is red! Red like my outfit!'  
  
For some reason this struck me as very funny.  
  
I giggled.  
  
Miroku arrived right before the rest of the group and bent over me. He looked shocked.  
  
Sango arrived next.  
  
"What on ear. Miroku, he's white as a sheet! He shouldn't be alive having lost this much blood!"  
  
"Inuyasha, can you hear me?"  
  
I giggled weakly again. His voice sounded all funny, kinda wavy and swirly.  
  
I heard him mutter something like he's hallucinating then he turned to Sango.  
  
"Sango-kun, do you know anything that may help him get stronger? If we don't do that or get him some more blood and soon, he won't be able to get up for days, if he does at all."  
  
Sango had an annoyed look on her face from the kun. She looked like she was contemplating beating the monk round the head with Hirakotsu. I also found this quite amusing.  
  
"I suppose there is one thing that I may know, a potion that I used to help Kirrara to survive when she was a kitten, but it will take some time to prepare. How long do we have?"  
  
"How long do you need?"  
  
"At least half a day, and that's if the plants are nearby."  
  
Miroku chewed his lip before answering. "I should be able to give you that much time. Go. Return as soon as you can."  
  
Sango nodded and then lept up.  
  
"Kirrara!"  
  
Miroku had some bandages in his hand and was approaching me.  
  
I blacked out.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
She was good. I grant her that. She was one of the most worthy opponents that I had ever faced, much better then that baka half-brother of mine.  
  
One must wonder why she let him protect her.  
  
Time to tone my battle up a notch, or I might face the dishonor of being bested by a human. More then that, a female human. After all, she had just nearly gotten my chest, and if she had then the fight would be over. After all, all demons know that there is no fight after a neck or chest injury.  
  
I drew Tokujin and then looked on in amazement as she let her katana turn back into raw power and flow into her. What was she playing at, surrendering her only weapon?  
  
She got a look of concentration on her face and pooled some of her power in her hands. A shimmering unstrung bow began to rise from the pool. When it was complete she grabbed it and pinched off a bit of power from the top corner. She dragged this down the length of the bow, leaving a shimmering cord of power trailing from her fingers until she touched it to the bottom prong, where it melded into the shining weapon, leaving a seamless connection.  
  
The speed at which she changed weapons amazed me, the whole process had taken maybe two seconds.  
  
She calmly drew the bow and fired at me, the arrow seeming to grow from her hand as she pulled the string back.  
  
Almost instinctively I brought Tokujin up and slashed at the arrow. It landed split in half on the ground in front of me, a perfectly normal arrow in appearance.  
  
We both stared at it.  
  
Well, that was interesting.  
  
She drew back the string again.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagura  
  
I reached my destination, the mouth of a rather large cave, and stepped down, the girl following at my command and walking into the cavern. A slight shimmering, like the reflection off of the surface of a bubble, rippled out from where she entered.  
  
Ah, good, the sealing spell was up. Naraku would be pleased.  
  
I sat down with my back to a tree, after shrinking my feather and replacing it, and settled down for a long wait.  
  
The plan was working.  
  
*******  
  
So, what do ya think? Review and tell me! I am working on the next chapter, but it will not be posted until I get 2 more reviews. Is that asking too much? I mean, only 2 reviews, people!  
  
I have moved my review response to the bottom of the page.  
  
Dragon Rea- you really like my fight scenes? I'm so glad! Thank you for reviewing! Do you have any advice?  
  
destiny- Thank you for reviewing! You made me feel all warm and fuzzy!  
  
Crystal Echoes- I'm glad that you like my stuff. If you have any questions, ask 'em. I'll answer if it won't wreak the surprise later on. 


	8. Chapter 7: Anger's Arrow

If you still don't know that I don't own them, you may want to consider getting some serious help  
  
Chapter 7: Anger's Arrow  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Naraku  
  
I manipulated my puppet from the shadows, watching the little group that Inuyasha was the head of who had annoyed me for so long.  
  
But I had the girl now.  
  
None of them could do a thing to me but her, and she would never harm me again.  
  
I laughed.  
  
Inuyasha might already be done for, he had almost finished himself off with that wind scar. Hmm. Maybe I could help him along and kill the monk all in one. It would be easy to pick off the exterminator after the rest of them were gone, and as for the sabercat? A little nightshade or perhaps some holy water slipped into her food or drink aught to do the trick.  
  
Move. Go out. Attack.  
  
The monk was bandaging the dog, the fool. He would need all that cloth later, for tying himself together.  
  
He saw the puppet and began to reach for his wrist right before the saimyoushou appeared at my sides, buzzing and swarming like what they were- angry wasps. Scowling, he withdrew his hand.  
  
"Well Monk. We meet again."  
  
"OFUDA!"  
  
I dodged the strip of paper easily, and began coming to attack him, the great tendrils of earth pouring out from under my pelt.  
  
I didn't see the follow-up attack until the butt of his staff pierced my skull between the eyes.  
  
I felt the puppet disintegrate and cursed.  
  
Oh well, there would be other opportunities.  
  
I turned my attention to what I was going to do with the dog lord and priestess that were in my possession.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sango  
  
I raced through the woods on Kirrara, my eyes flicking from plant to plant, looking for one with little sliver flowers and deep emerald leaves. The roots of the midithros plant had amazing properties, and would both heal and bring strength to anyone who made a tea from them. Once in a paste with along with it's flowers, untina leaves and the purified berries of a renisno bush they made a powerful healing salve that could all but bring you back from beyond the gates of death. It was a good thing, as Inuyasha was practically at that stage already.  
  
"Hurry Kirrara," I whispered in the giant sabercat's ear. We nearly doubled in speed, headed for the nearest marsh, the only place that midithros fronds grew. As we passed onto the soggy ground, I saw a flash of silver to my right.  
  
"Kirrara! Right!"  
  
She bounded off in the direction, stopping as soon as she saw the star- shaped flowers. I tumbled from her back and dug up all of the plants that I could find, ripping off the roots and flowers, throwing them into a pouch similar to saddlebags that was on her flank and swinging back onto her back.  
  
"Run as you have never run before my friend. We still need untina and renisno."  
  
A cream-colored dart shot through the forest, headed for the deep woods.  
  
The race was on for the life of Inuyasha.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
My confidence was restored once there was a bow in my hand. I knew this weapon. I had lived and almost died by it for close to a year.  
  
I hesitated slightly as I pulled back the string.  
  
Maybe I would hit Sesshoumaru by accident.  
  
No, that was stupid. Me? Hit Sesshoumaru? Yea. Ha, ha.  
  
Ok, I might be able to it I was really trying to, but if I wasn't.. Well, you know. Not a chance in the world. Or wherever it was that we were.  
  
So I fired.  
  
The thing that I had expected was for him to dodge. The thing that I had not expected was for him to bring up Tokujin and cut the arrow in half.  
  
May I just say wow?  
  
Yea.  
  
Most impressive.  
  
I drew back the sting again and fired, the glowing arrow shooting like a star towards him, rather enjoying not having to string one of them every time I wanted to defend myself. It was a bit more draining then the other method, sure, but not so much that it really mattered.  
  
He followed tradition and did another unexpected thing in response to this attack, actually moving forward to meet the arrow, and then moving on toward me with sword raised after having sliced this one in half.  
  
The plus side was that the blade would've had all of its demonic energy purified, greatly reducing the power of the weapon. The minus side? It was still really, really sharp.  
  
'Oh man,' I thought as the weapon whistled toward me, 'I could really use that sword again.'  
  
And presto, chango, it was in my hand. Apparently I could change weapons just by thinking of them and that whole elaborate thing that I had done to get a bow had been totally unnecessary. Well now I felt stupid.  
  
Just like before, as soon as I had the sword in my hand it sorta took over, using my arm to raise it and force the other blade back. Unfortunately it was only after I got a slash across the cheek that I managed to get the blade a comfortable away from my body but it was just a slight trickle of blood, barely enough to be called a scratch by my recent vocabulary or injuries. A few drops of my blood seemed to splash onto his wrist and then shimmer like dew in the first light of the sun, but after the light subsided, nothing was there. Odd.  
  
I darted forward with a counter attack.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Rin  
  
I woke-up, and my arm hurt more then anything in the world. That was ok though, Sesshoumaru-sama would make it better. I was in a pool, it was red and sticky. I was feeling confused, so it took me a minute to figure out what it was. It was blood! My kimono was stained red and my hair was clinging my head and the back of my neck. I yelped and scrambled back from the pool, biting my lip as more blood from my hair ran down my cheeks to mix with my tears.  
  
Where was Sesshoumaru-sama?  
  
Was the lady who had taken me for a ride one a giant feather here? She was nice.  
  
Except.. If she was nice, then why did she give me to the mean man? He had cut off my hand. That had hurt almost as much as the wolves. Then he had hit me on the head and I felt all funny, then I woke up here.  
  
I wrapped my arms around my knees and curled into a ball, hiding my face in my kimono as blood dripped onto my sticky feet.  
  
I felt dizzy and squeezed my eyes shut.  
  
Drip, drip.  
  
Where was Sesshoumaru?  
  
Why hadn't he come yet?  
  
The world started to turn dark and more and more red.  
  
Black was surrounding me.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kanna  
  
I knelt with my back to a tree next to my elder sister, Kagura, (Ok, I just found out that Kanna is actually the older of the 2 [please see manga, volume 15] but whatever. I cannot remember if I said that Kagura was older earlier in the story, so I am going to stick with it) who, as usual, was sulking. She had never really liked Naraku, and was infuriated that he was once again bending her to his will. I do not think that she cared if either of the captives died, but she knew that these two had more potential to beat him then any of the rest, and thus didn't want them dead just yet. She was livid because of the fact that not only would she be forced to help destroy two of her greatest "allies," she wouldn't even have the pleasure of killing them. No, that honor would go to the hoards of lesser demons that my father kept in his army.  
  
A great tearing noise filled the sky, like a huge bolt of cloth being torn in two and the thousands of demons came pouring from the great tear in the sky, worm and centipedes with many others of a less savory nature. The twisted bodies of dogs, cats, falcons, horses, tigers, monkeys, beetles, bears and some unrecognizable forms thundered through the small mouth of the cave, washing through the opening like a flash flood rushing down a narrow canyon.  
  
The tracker worms, who were near to a hundred feet long and could smell meat from enormous distances, lifted their ugly heads, the great, circular mouths filled with hundreds of flashing teeth opening and closing madly, to smell the air. Inhuman shrieks rent the still air and they began scuttling down the tunnels in three directions.  
  
Soon there would be a feeding frenzy.  
  
********  
  
Ok, so, what did you think? All you Rin fans, here is your first Rin pov. Congrads. I just want to say, I AM NOT A SADISTIC RIN HATER!!!!!!!!! Sorry that I was so mean to her, I totally do not have a thing against Rin. She just kinda has to die from blood loss. But I do love her. I have absolutely no hard feelings for her at all. I want to make that clear to all of you die-hard Rin fans. She will be treated more kindly soon, promise, so don't flame me telling me how much I suck because of Rin suffering.  
  
Once again, I want 2 reviews before I give you the next chapter. And trust me, you will want to read the next chapter, as Kagome and Sesshoumaru will finally get out of the mirror. About time, no? Also, the whole Rin thing will be resolved in the next chapter or two, so REVIEW ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Also, this is about the time that I will start to need some ideas, so if you have any, feel free. I may or may not put them in, but even if I don't, chances are they will inspire me, so send 'em in!  
  
THIS IS THE LAST TIME THAT I POST IN RESPONSE TO MY OWN REVIEW!!!!!  
  
Review responses  
  
megan- I kinda feel like you are missing the point. Yea, she is attacking him, but she is either attacking out of instinct (sword) or to keep him away (bow). Did I make that clearer this chapter?  
  
BadBoyAddict- Oh, thank you for reviewing! You made me feel all warm and fuzzy. How do you like this chapter?  
  
Silver Winged Dragon- Here is your next chapter. Thanx for finally reviewing!  
  
Oh, and ps, would anyone be willing to beta this? I have a pretty good vocab and am ok with grammar (I hope, you see any glaring flaws, tell me), but I would like to improve the writing itself. If you think that you could, review me! (my email is on the fritz right now, I somehow managed to misspell my password twice the same way but I am working on fixing that) 


	9. Chapter 8: Shatterglass

There are many things that I own, and while this story is one of them, the characters in it are not.  
  
Chapter 8: Shatterglass  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
Well, well, well. She was getting better. She was leaning things; her reaction time was improving, she knew that you needed to defend as well as attack—a thing that my half-brother can never seem to learn. She still had some to learn about form though. She was going for a half-moon sweep to my right. Easy to block.  
  
She began the routine of swishing the blade up to bring it whistling down in the half-circle on the side and I positioned my sword and hand so that I could block and follow through with my claws. Then she did the most unexpected thing. She completely changed her tactics, going for an angled down sweep of the blade and completely catching me off guard, allowing her to slash me across the cheek before I could block. A few drops of my blood sprayed outward much like hers had to land on her hand. How delightfully unexpected!  
  
The drops shone like the evening star before vanishing, just as her blood had on my skin.  
  
"An eye for an eye," she said calmly as we locked blades above, the blood trickling in identical places on both our cheeks. I brought my sword down and whipped it around, throwing her off me and back about 20 feet where she stood, catching her breath.  
  
I grinned wickedly at her, revealing my fangs, as I used the momentary lull in the battle to recover my bearings.  
  
"Do you think it wise to be crossing blades with a Demon Lord, girl? Do you have the skill? After all, someone could get hurt." I left no room for doubt as to who that someone would be.  
  
That remark annoyed her, seemingly, as her eyes narrowed dramatically and her face hardened as she let her sword flow back into a bow—identical to the first but for the fact that it was strung. Wasting no time, she drew back the string and fired on me.  
  
Her speed shocked me; she was moving as fast as I would—a most impressive feat for a human.  
  
A shimmering bolt flew for my face, getting bigger and bigger by the second as my eyes widened slightly and I began moving to the side.  
  
My world turned white.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sango The untina vine grows only in the deep woods on the edges of Japan. If you ever find it, as it is a rather illusive plant, then it is a double-edged blade, much like renisno berries, as all of the plant is poisonous. You have to crush the white-veined leaves and boil them until they make a jelly- like paste and after that strain the gelatinous substance through some coarsely woven cloth to get the last few shreds of leaf out to bring out it's healing properties. There was always a slight element of risk when you use this plant in a healing, say nothing of the initial trouble of finding it. However, if used correctly, it is one of the most potent potions that you can get.  
  
There was some!  
  
"Kirrara!" I yelled over the screaming of the wind as I saw the delicate looking vine wrapped in a strangling hold around a tree just ahead of us. Her huge red eyes danced from one place to another for a few seconds before she saw and bounded to the tree. I slipped from her back once more and, drawing my knife, I slashed some of the fat, emerald-colored leaves from the fine and tossed them into the saddlebags. About to swing back onto my mount I paused and looked at the tree that the vine was climbing up again. It was a willow! Now that was some good luck! I ran back to the trunk and stripped several sizable chunks of the silvery-smooth bark, tossing them too into the the bag with the other plants.  
  
I backed up and looked at how much I had removed. Hmmmmm... maybe a bit more. I had a feeling that we were going to need a lot of this one particular remedy. I slashed another few large strips off the poor tree and threw them into my bag too.  
  
Willow bark tea is good for pain.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Ooooh, Sesshoumaru makes me mad. You have no idea. I just kinda snapped when he made that snide remark about how I wasn't good enough and shot that arrow at him. Now I can see it like it is going in slow motion, moving farther and farther away from me and toward it's intended target. The air all around it was glowing and reflection off of everything, making the air seem white. This, I am rather sorry to report, just made Sesshoumaru look really, really hot (not of course, that I would ever tell anyone this, as he already has a hugely inflated head) because the white in the air was really making the white of his hair and tail look even whiter and made the stark contrast of his eyes and markings show up even more prominently. And here I am having just fired an arrow at this extremely hot guy and could possibly kill him! I am such a dork. I mean is it really any wonder that I don't have better luck with guys?  
  
So I was watching, feeling rather helpless, as my purifying arrow got closer and closer and closer and I felt a bit like screaming, Move you idiot! except then that would make him really, really mad at me, if he did survive, for calling him an idiot. I did not know what to do! And so I stood there like the dork that I am.  
  
Luckily for everyone Sesshoumaru managed to get out of the path of that arrow real fast after he recovered from his initial shock of me moving so fast and didn't get hit my it. Instead it hit the maple tree that had been right behind him. This produced a very strange effect, to say the least.  
  
A cracking noise that was like the sound when you step on ice that is a bit too thin and it starts caving in began resounding from everything but Sesshoumaru and me. This really freaked me out as once when I was little and I was ice-skating on the pond this happened to me and I almost drowned. So I started looking around for the ice so that I could avoid it but instead I saw all of these glowing hairline cracks spinning their way across everything—and I do mean everything, mist included. Then there was a shattering noise like breaking glass and everything, all of it, just exploded outward. The mist, the tree, the walls, the leaves, everything. It was way strange, because it was like all of a sudden all of this stuff was glass rather than what it started out as being.  
  
I saw this big chunk of tree-glass that had to be a yard wide and was pointed like an arrow ripping toward me through the air, headed straight for my torso, and from all appearances going to cut me in half. There were a bunch of small shards headed for me too, but I was mainly worried about the big one. All that I could think as I watched it get closer and closer was, 'This is it. I am about to die.' And for some reason I was feeling very calm about all of that. I am figuring that it was probably delayed shock or something, as that is the only way that I can explain it.  
  
So I was watching this huge chunk of "tree" fly toward me, and I watched it go right through me, effectively cutting me in half, but it didn't hurt. I was thinking that it had to be another prime example of delayed shock again until I looked down at my middle. There was no blood. There was not even a scratch. I was not injured in any way. This is going to sound really weird, but having that thing go through me was a bit like throwing a rock through a plume of smoke. There is a hole there for a few seconds, but then it is gone and you cannot even tell that anything happened.  
  
And then I started feeling like that plume of smoke when I raised my hand—which was, by the way, see-through—to look at it, these little whisps trailed behind my arm.  
  
I was glowing, I realized, just as I too exploded outward.

* * *

Ok, so what do you think? Evil of me to leave you handing like that, no? You know the drill, 2 reviews and you get the next chapter as soon as I can upload it. For those of you who are wondering what happens to Kagome, review. I will put up the next chapter as soon as A. I have two reviews and B. it is written.  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
DragonLady4- THANK YOU!!!!!!!! I think that that is one of the most positive comments so far! I am glad that you like my story. How did you like this chapter. Good idea about Sess, but Rin wasn't really going to have any major part...  
  
Crystal Echos- ... I don't really know what you mean about pov... And the rosary, good idea, but no. I am going to force Kagome and Sess to work together to survive, maybe. I mean, what with Sess being so proud and all, it would make it a bit harder for them to fall in love if she had him collared and was holding the leash... 


	10. Chapter 9: A Minor Mirror Malfunction

Hey, I may not own Inuyasha, but I do own... ummmmm... I do own... ummmmm... I do....  
  
Chapter 9: A Minor Mirror Malfunction  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kanna  
  
I sat looking curiously at my mirror. It had never done this before. White strips were flashing across, not reflection-white, but dull-white, like the shell of an egg. It was strange. I finally rationalized that it must be the souls in my mirror. My mirror may have never done this before, but then I had never had both a miko and a taiyoukai in it at the same time.  
  
Kagura was still pouting against the tree, but my mirror was more interesting.  
  
The flashes sped up and I brought it closer to my face. What was going on? The glass went white.  
  
With a crash, the glass of the mirror exploded outward, and I screamed in rage and pain. Blood dripped from my fingers as I hurtled the empty frame away from me. Red stains splattered onto my pristine white kimono as Kagura turned and smirked.  
  
Two gray, mist-like forms whispered out of the frame from where it lay, leaning against a tree trunk, the golden tassels crumpled on the ground, and seeped into the cave.  
  
Naraku would not be pleased by this.  
  
The souls had escaped.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
I came awake in a red haze. I could faintly make out Miroku leaning over me. What was he doing?  
  
I scowled at him. To my surprise, a smile of relief spread over his face. Still scowling, I attempted to sit up, but couldn't.  
  
WHAT WAS GOING ON?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  
  
I could faintly see Sango off by a small fire, feverously mashing something is a pestle and every once in a while stirring a small pot over the flames. Miroku called something about me to her, but I couldn't hear all of it.  
  
She looked like she might have smiled, but before I could see I drifted out of conciseness again.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
Pain.  
  
Blinding pain enveloped me.  
  
I almost screamed.  
  
Almost.  
  
I wondered what had happened to me. I remembered my strange mirrored prison, and it exploding outward; huge chunks of the glass-like substance tearing through me, but I had been fine, other then looking a bit like smoke.  
  
Seconds after, I had exploded outward, but had felt strangely free; like I was a whisp of cloud floating on a breeze.  
  
Then the pain had arrived.  
  
It dulled the senses, blocking out everything.  
  
I wouldn't be able to control it.  
  
Just as I was about to lose control and do something, anything to end the pain, I thought of my father, of what he had taught me.  
  
Pain was a weakness, an emotion.  
  
Emotions would get you killed, sent to your death needlessly by those 'loyal' to you.  
  
I put on my taiyoukai face, replacing the tightened, tense, contorted expression with a calm mask.  
  
(A/N: I just want to say that Inutaisho did not teach him this directly. You will learn more later)  
  
The scent of blood filled my sensitive nose.  
  
I gagged.  
  
It was overpowering, like I was lying in a pool of the stuff. Some had the distinct, metallic tinge that was singular to demons, and some smelled like Rin's sugar-sweet blood. And... good heavens. There was another girl's farther away, but not more then 100 yards.  
  
Where was I, Vampire Bay?  
  
I opened my eyes, and what did I see but that I was lying in a pool of my own blood. Not a big pool, certainly, but still. Low-level demons were surrounding me, tearing into my flesh, creating more wounds for the blood to drip from. How dare they? I was Sesshoumaru, taiyoukai of Western Lands! It was an outrage. I came up rather sluggishly, moving at a speed that was almost halved. It was still to fast for the fools around me to respond.  
  
Pieces of the youkai splashed into my blood as I tore them to bits.  
  
Rin was lying only a few feet away from me, in a huge pool of the sticky liquid, which was now old enough that the edges and what was on her had begun to dry. She was white as a lily, and not moving. Suddenly my rage returned and my claws flew out, poison filling them as adrenaline began to pump through my veins. I tore up almost all of the demons which had been in the cave, but some fled before I could get to them. It did not matter. I could hunt them down later. I stepped through the gore and blood towards Rin, doing my best not to smell. My poor, now red kimono would never be the same.  
  
Rin seemed dead, which was a mercy as the youkai had already begun to tear chunks from her flesh, as they had from mine. I was pushed beyond fury by this latest sight. Tenderly scooping her body up with my tail I unleashed my fury on the demons that had begun to creep back in, hoping for an easy meal. I was the flames of vengeance. I was the winds of death.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Miroku  
  
Inuyasha was getting faster at healing, that was for sure. When he had been fighting Naraku once he had gotten worse injuries and recovered more slowly. He had been drifting in and out of conciseness for the past half an hour. I stood and looked around at our sadly depleted little group.  
  
Inuyasha, lying out of commission on ground stained red from his blood.  
  
Sango kneeling near her small fire making willow-bark tea and some potion to restore Inuyasha's strength while Kirrara hopped back and forth to get ingredients from her saddlebags.  
  
Kagome, missing, kidnapped by Naraku for some foul purpose.  
  
And Shippo...  
  
I glanced around for the little fox kit.  
  
What? He was gone too? Where would he go?  
  
And, more to the point, how would we find him again without Inuyasha's nose?  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Shippo  
  
(A/N: this is why Shippo disappeared and hasn't been heard of. Ehe. Sorry about that...)  
  
I smelt the queer blood of a demon and hopped closer. Kanna stood, her face a mask of rage and indignation, glaring at the empty mirror frame leaning against a tree across from her.  
  
Red blood that had an odd silver tinge to it dripped off her lily-white fingers and onto her kimono and the ground.  
  
Kagura smirked at her from the other side of the tree, and I felt a growl begin deep in my throat. She had kidnapped Kagome.  
  
"Pity for you that the souls escaped Kanna," she said with a sadistic laugh in her tone. "Naraku won't be pleased that the demon and the miko have been unleashed on his army. He will loose at least thousands before they are killed."  
  
I drew in a breath sharply, and Kagura perked her ears.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
I sat as quietly as I could until the sisters started fighting again.  
  
Silently, I turned and began to creep back to the group, leaving a trail of mushroom spores that would soon burst into... unique mushrooms behind me.  
  
I had to get back and tell everyone where Kagome was.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Drip, drip, drip.  
  
Blood pooled around my faintly glowing body.  
  
I could never remember being so tired. One part of me just wanted to go to sleep, but I forced my leaded eyes to stay open.  
  
When I had awoken a few minutes earlier, a wave of blinding pain had drowned out everything else. I might have screamed. I'm not really sure what I did through that red haze.  
  
Immediately, almost instinctively, I shot all of the power that I had through my system. That alone shocked me. The fact that I had so much control of my energy amazed me. I hadn't ever before been able to control my energy like that, other then my strange, realm-of-dreams-with- Sesshoumaru experience.  
  
Hundreds of high-pitched keenings echoed and reverberated around me when I had done that, and I almost thought that my ears, along with everything else, were bleeding.  
  
When I opened my eyes, I found that the unearthly shrieks were made by the demons surrounding me, who were slowing fading from existence, having gotten a mouthful of purified flesh. Well, it was one way to get rid of them, although I wouldn't do it again for anything. Needless to say, it really, really hurt.  
  
Oh, great. That noise just started again. But... no pain this time. At least, no physical pain. My poor ears, I am sure will never be the same. I looked up and saw a white blur. It stopped momentarily, and I saw that it was Sesshoumaru.  
  
That shook me, let me tell you. Sesshoumaru, protecting me. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed myself sick! There was no way that he would protect a human. Only... he was. Unless I was only imagining it.  
  
Except for the fact that in order to imagine it, I would have to want it, right? So now it is simply a question of which is more likely, him protecting me, or me wanting him to protect me.  
  
Neither is very likely.  
  
Then Sesshoumaru set down the little girl that he had had in his tail, drew one of his swords, and swept it over the child. To my utter amazement, her wounds healed, her hand (which had been lying beside her) reattached, and her face lost its deathly white color. Ok, it had just become official. I was a mental case. Somebody lock me up before I hurt myself or others.  
  
The girl stirred and rubbed her eyes, at last opening them to reveal liquid brown pools. She looked around for a moment, as though confused, and then saw Sesshoumaru and smiled. It is so very clear that I am not the only one with insanity in my family.  
  
A demon slipped through Sesshoumaru's slashing claws and came for her, mouth gaping and teeth shining wetly.  
  
I yelled and moved all I could, apparently distracting it. Noticing me, it began to come for me.  
  
My energy was almost spent. I was already partially dipping into my life force, my magic that kept me running, yet still I was growing weaker and weaker. In order to purify the demon, I might have to kill myself, which I was so not willing to do.  
  
The red snake's tongue waved like a banner as the giant centipede came closer and closer and closer...  
  
******  
  
Not that good a end, I know, but go easy on me. Sorry about taking approximately a million years to update, but you didn't get the chapter due to some floppy disc/internet troubles that I have been having. Not a good excuse, I know, but whatever. Gomen!!  
  
Review Responces:  
  
D-Chan3- *grin* good guess. I'm not sure what his reaction will be yet though...  
  
DumbAssPunk- Good, I'm glad that you liked the fight scene. I have wanted to write that for the longest time... As to when will chapter 10 will be up, AS SOON AS 2 PEOPLE REVIEW THIS ONE!!!!!!!  
  
Sukera- ^__^; *sniff, sniff* I'm so happy you liked it!  
  
A Typical Dude- just how much Inuyasha fanfiction have you read anyway? None? There are way, way, way too many Inu/Kag povs out there. Try reading 10, and see if you get even one creative plot. I bet ya that if you do, it will have been used again and again and again and again... Either that or it is one of those really freaky ones, like this one where Naraku kidnaps Kagome and rapes her, and then she gets pregnant....  
  
Kat- ...interesting. That was... um... interesting. How this turns into a Sess/Kag is rather weird, and involves forcing them to be allies and more kidnapping. Sorry, but they will not actually "get together" in this story, it will be in the next one, or maybe the third. Yes, this is going to at least be a duo. Sorry about that. 


	11. Chapter 10: PURPLE Power?

No, I do not own Inuyasha & co, but I am currently bidding for rights to Sesshoumaru. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Chapter 10: PURPLE Power?...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Rin  
  
My hand had hurt more then anything in the world, and Sesshoumaru-sama hadn't come. Where had he been? It was okay now though, I had fallen asleep and everything had gone dark but then I woke-up, and I was okay, and my hand didn't hurt anymore. I was in blood though! I squeaked and shuffled back as I looked around for Sesshoumaru-sama. There he was! I smiled and looked around some more, and there was a girl with black hair who was glowing. It was so pretty, and it felt nice to be by her.  
  
"Woman," began Sesshoumaru-sama as he swung around, drawing...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
Naraku had Kagome.  
  
Naraku had Kagome.  
  
Naraku had Kagome.  
  
All that I could seem to think was that one simple and yet infinitely important and devastating phrase.  
  
I had let him take her.  
  
I had to get her back.  
  
I opened my eyes and began to sit up slowly, ignoring the shooting pains throughout my body.  
  
All that mattered was that Naraku had Kagome, and it was my fault. I would get her back. I would if it killed me.  
  
I heard something from a few feet away and then there was a scampering sound.  
  
I heard Miroku's and Sango's voices telling me to stay down, that we could go and get her soon, but that I would do her no good if I wasn't strong enough to fight when I get there. Telling me to lie back down, that Sango had a potion almost done that would increase my strength, that I wasn't strong enough to go after her yet.  
  
D*** them for being right.  
  
D*** me for being a hanyou, and not healing as fast as a full demon.  
  
My being a hanyou might cost Kagome her life.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
...Tensaiga. Why is that? I mean, he could not exactly kill anything with it. He tore the demon that had been coming for me to bits with his claws and then swept Tensaiga over...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Naraku  
  
Another of my puppets stepped from the cover of the trees, but this time in a different place.  
  
Kanna stood glaring hatefully at me, blood dripping from her fingers.  
  
Now that was unusual. Most of the time it was Kagura who would give me those looks, but Kanna, never.  
  
What had happened?  
  
"Did you give me a faulty mirror on purpose?" she asked scathingly, gesturing to the empty frame leaning on the base of a nearby tree.  
  
I felt a growl begin to rise in my throat. "It was faulty?"  
  
"Well that's all that I can assume, because it started flashing white and then—" she gestured at a bloodied hand, "—it exploded."  
  
Ohh, the mage who made it would pay, that was for sure, he would pay well.  
  
I gathered my white mantle around me and began for the village, for the shop.  
  
His death would be slow and painful for disrupting my plans.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
...Her. I used the Tensaiga to heal her, yelling for her to protect Rin, knowing that some would get by me and I did not want her to have to go through death yet again. Inuyasha's woman sat up and I could feel her power return in a flood as she sent out an enormous wave, purifying all of the demons within 10 feet of herself except me. I fell to my knees with a small grunt, splashing yet more blood on my outfit, cursing silently.  
  
I had used up too much of my energy healing her after already loosing too much blood, and now I would die. She would not protect me, I had, after all on many occasions tried to kill her and my baka half-brother. I hoped that at least she would protect Rin. She had already gone through enough for several lifetimes, and she was only five.  
  
The child stumbled to my side and clung to my sleeve, looking up at me with soft, scared eyes.  
  
I did not smile, but I could feel my eyes soften as I looked upon my foster daughter, one of the only humans ever to not fear me.  
  
The other approached and I looked up at her.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sango  
  
Miroku, I, and even Inuyasha listened carefully as Shippo told us what he had heard and seen.  
  
Oh dear. This was not good.  
  
"Thousands before they are dead, is that what they said exactly?" I asked in an urgent voice.  
  
"Maybe not exactly, but I think it is," he said rather sadly. Then in a more determined voice, he continued. "We have to go and save Kagome. We have to!"  
  
Inuyasha gave him a fury-laden glare that rivaled his half-brother's for coldness. "Do you think that I don't know that kitsune?!" he exploded. "Do you think that I wouldn't already be over there if I could be?"  
  
He turned that icy, furious glare on me and I am sure that I gulped visibly.  
  
"Will that potion that you insist I need give me the strength to get her back?"  
  
I winced at the question. He would not like the answer.  
  
"It will give you the strength you need to travel, but not to fight. If you want to be able to fight too, then you will need at least a half-day of rest before going after her."  
  
He exploded, cursing up a storm.  
  
"What do you mean, a half-day? She could be DEAD by then, and you expect me to be a good little boy and stay here?"  
  
I turned my tear filled eyes to him. "Do you think that I don't know that? She could be dead right now, but if we are split then Naraku will pick us off one by one. We have to stay here for the night."  
  
He responded by swearing at me.  
  
"Don't you remember? If we don't get her back in the next two days, she will be in there for another day."  
  
Then I remembered. In two days it was the night of the new moon. Inuyasha would not be able to fight, or even be near the cave, lest one of the demons smell his change and learn his secret.  
  
It was almost as if Naraku knew, and had planned this so that it would be this way.  
  
I spun around.  
  
"Shippo, how far away is this cave?" I asked urgently.  
  
"Half a day, and that's if we ride Kirrara," he said, shaking his head.  
  
Wonderful. That gave us only one day to rescue Kagome, before we had to leave.  
  
I sighed. Things just kept on getting more complicated.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Gosh, his eyes were still as arrogant as ever. But still, he had healed me. And apparently it had cost the last of his strength, as he had fallen to his knees right after, using the sword that was still in his only hand to support him and keep him from falling completely into the pool he was kneeling in.  
  
He had asked me to protect "Rin," who I am assuming is the little girl who is now babbling on in a deluded sort of way about how Sesshoumaru-sama (her words, not mine) can't be hurt, that he is the strongest and the best.  
  
I did not know what to do! I mean, I still didn't want him to die, now more then ever because he had just healed me and Rin, so he had to have a heart, right?  
  
Jee, one would never know with that shell of ice that he keeps it under.  
  
The problem is that the only medical supply that I have on me is my power, and that I cannot use because it would purify him!  
  
Oh this is confusing.  
  
I decided to go for it, but if he seemed to weaken when my power got near him, I would back off and maybe use my spare uniform for bandages. The only problem with that plan is I am not sure that there would be enough fabric, because he has A LOT of wounds.  
  
It's times like these that I wish we had longer skirts.  
  
Slowly I concentrated and a deep, deep violet light—so dark that it was all but black—began to wash over my hands.  
  
WHAT ON EARTH WAS GOING ON?!?!?!?!?!?! MY POWER WAS WHITE!, NOT PURPLE!!!!!!  
  
Maybe, though, maybe it could help were my purifying energy could not.  
  
I put my indigo hands on his chest and then waited experimentally. His demon aura didn't seem to be getting weaker, if anything, it was stronger, and so I let my power flow into him, praying that I would not be the one to kill my healer.  
  
******  
  
] heh heh heh. Evil of me to leave you hanging like that, I know.  
  
I promise that I will explain the whole purple-power, white-power soon, but for now I want 5 reviews before the next chapter. At two, you guys are just reviewing faster then I can write.  
  
Reviewer Responses: (O_O ooooooooo.... Me got lot of reviews this time)  
  
Sayori-chan- ^__~ thanx for reviewing, and thanx for the complement!!!!!!! I'm glad that you liked my descriptions!!  
  
Angel- I am glad that you liked it. How was this chapter?  
  
hyper person- Yea, I know what you're saying. I mean, if Kagome had traveled with Inuyasha for so long, then one would think that she would be able to take care of herself too...  
  
blue fox demon- Ok, I did. Now you just need to get the next chapter. ] MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!  
  
butterflygirl013- HOLY COW!!!!!! You did review a lot, didn't you? Five times... well, here you are... I'm sorry about this chappies short povs, but I had to in order to get the effect that I wanted... Oh, and this is going to be a rather long fic. Sorry all you short-fic lovers!!!  
  
shadownekko- Ya know, the funny thing is that everyone thinks that Sess is in character. I honestly thought that I made him too soft, but here all of you are saying how well I wrote all of them. Oh well...  
  
inu_luvver10- Well, you got your next chapter. Now if only you had chapter 11... *evil grin*  
  
Ami- What are you talking about for some weird reason you like the pairing? In my opinion, anyone who doesn't is mad. If you do like the pairing so much, you might want to check out the Death of the Moon, Once in a Blue Moon (the sequel to dotm), and Everything's changed. These (in my humble opinion) are some of the shining examples of good Kag/Sess fanfiction out there.  
  
Sukera- Well, I updated (duh), and it was as fast as I could... 


	12. Chapter 11: Memories

I don't own Inuyasha, Please don't sue, I'm already much more Broke then you.  
  
Chapter 11: Memories  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
I was struggling with all my might not to enter into the Chi-oko—the blood- rage—the state that youkai enter when they are grievously injured. If I did, then in all likelihood I would rip out Rin's throat, and probably the girl's too, but she might purify me before it came to that.  
  
Seeing as how I had just basically killed myself for her, I did not want to do that.  
  
As I drifted in and out of the realms of reality I thought of how disgraceful it was that Sesshoumaru, taiyoukai of the western lands, should die in such a way.  
  
I thought of how my father had died.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I had despised my stepmother, Aymia, at first. I didn't understand how my father could have mated this pale shadow so soon after my own mother, Mashiro, who had been full of power, full of life, had died.  
  
I hated her.  
  
She put forth her best effort to be kind to me, however, to try and become an almost-replacement for my own mother. Both she and I knew that she would never take the place of my mother, but she did try to love me as she loved her son, my half-brother, Inuyasha.  
  
He was the bond. Inuyasha looked up to me so when he was but a pup, and I grew to love him, and through him, Aymia.  
  
One day, about a half-year after I had begun to care for Aymia almost as though she was an older sister, when I was only about 129—the human equivalent of about 13—one of the servants, Haishin, had come forth to tell my father that he had heard that the great dragon, Ryuukotsusi, wanted Aymia for his own.  
  
Both my father and myself had flown into a lethal rage, and my father had immediately set of to kill the dragon who so dared.  
  
A day later Jaken, another of the army of retainers, had come to me and told me that he had overheard the servants talking badly about my father, saying how he had gone soft and began to like humans. They disgraced my family name and my younger half-brother, who was not yet 25! (A/N: this is the hanyou equivalent of about 5) He was still barely out of being a toddler, even with how much faster hanyou age.  
  
They talked about how brilliant the plan to get rid of my father had been. After all, no one wanted a soft warlord, and they believed that that was what he now was.  
  
A weak, pathetic leader who had fallen so far as to take a human for a mate.  
  
And yet none had had the courage to come out in the open and demand a challenge. No, he was still too strong to defeat, but he was too weak to lead the western lands anymore.  
  
And as soon as he was dead, they would kill Aymia and the half-breed, to eliminate the weakness.  
  
I had immediately gone to my stepmother, and told her to take Inuyasha and run, that the demons planned to kill them. I told her to go to a village at the edge of my father's domain, and wait for Inutaisho and me to come for them. As soon as I saw that she was on her way, I raced after my father.  
  
I found him as he lay dying. He had defeated the dragon, but the battle had cost him his life. I could not bring myself to tell him that his fight had been for nothing as he told me with his last breaths to take care of my stepmother and half-brother.  
  
I had stood over him as he lay freshly dead and cried the last tears I had ever cried.  
  
That was the first day that I wore the now all-but permanent mask.  
  
Immediately after he died I had returned to the Western Lands Citadel and slaughtered everyone in it.  
  
It still wasn't enough.  
  
A week later, through the haze of pain and grief and blood, I had remembered about Aymia and little Inuyasha. I had gone to get them, but when I finally tracked them to a house, I had found Aymia lying with blood surrounding her, some still dripping from the gaping hole in her neck. Inuyasha was crouching in a corner, crying, and I reached down and scooped him up in one arm, hugging him and feeling the horrible emptiness inside me. He and I were the same now, neither had a mother or a father.  
  
Then I had gone outside and, after tracking them down, slaughtered the three that had killed her.  
  
After I had deposited Inuyasha with his mother's parents, but even they died soon.  
  
That year had been awash with blood.  
  
My father had taught me a powerful lesson in his death—Emotion was a weakness, and any weakness would get you killed.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Now I thought of how true that was. I had cared for Rin, and that feeling had gotten me killed.  
  
Just like my father.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Shippo  
  
Despite all of my worry, it had been really, really funny to watch Sango and Miroku force-feed the potion and tea to Inuyasha, who sat with large Kirrara pinning his legs sputtering about how they were trying to kill him.  
  
Now, however, that there was nothing to distract me my anxiety was just climbing higher and higher and higher...  
  
I wished that I had some candy.  
  
More then that, though, I wished that I had Kagome back.  
  
I think that that is a shared wish, however. The entire group (with the exception of Inuyasha) was pacing back and forth, waiting and waiting.  
  
Finally Sango couldn't take it and jumped on Kirrara, who ran in to the north, but I am sure that it was just to get out of there, and to run in a direction, any direction. To run and leave their troubles behind.  
  
As hard as this is on the rest of us, I cannot even imagine what it must be like for Inuyasha. I am surprised that he has not gone mad by now.  
  
We, at least, can still run.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
I held my hands to his chest and let my power flow into him, watching his eyes closely and at the same time probing his aura for any changes.  
  
He seemed to be drifting between this realm and the others for a while, but after about a minute of me tentatively pushing threads of my power into him, his eyes cleared and I breathed again.  
  
He looked at me then, his gaze boring holes in mine, but rather then his usual glare of you-are-not-worthy-to-be-scraped-off-my-shoe, it was softer.  
  
Wait... did he seem almost...  
  
Grateful? Not likely, but perhaps...  
  
Disbelieving certainly.  
  
I wonder why.  
  
His wounds scabbed over and then grew smaller and smaller, finally disappearing without a scar (thank heaven).  
  
Apparently he was still fairly tired though, I mean, exerting so much of his youki had to wear on a person, even if he was fully healed.  
  
What clued me in was how he slumped down after my hands came unstuck. That is what it felt like when I finally started really healing, like my hands were glued there and my energy being pulled out of me.  
  
It was a weird feeling, to say the least.  
  
Anyway, he was kneeling there with his hands supporting him in this small lake made of blood which was mostly mine but had some of his mixed in and bits of gore bobbing like apples. Only I so did not want to stick my head in and get one of them, I can't tell you. Tensaiga was lying beside him, shimmering in its pale blue glow, now dampened by red.  
  
He managed to lift his head up to tell Rin not to worry, that he would be fine, that he was just tired, and managed to drag himself mostly out before collapsing completely, his eyes fluttering shut.  
  
I set up a bubble of my power (which was white again) and then dragged him the rest of the way out.  
  
Apparently it was my turn to keep watch.  
  
******  
  
;___; sniff, sniff. It's just so SAD!!!!!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is why Sesshoumaru seems so cold. And, really, who can blame him?  
  
Ok then, if you were wondering what some of the names mean...  
  
Mashiro- Pure White. In case you didn't catch on, she is Sess's mom.  
  
Haishin- Betrayal, Infidelity. Obvious, I know, but forgive me. It is late.  
  
Aymia- Night Rain. If you want the truth of the matter, I just liked this name.  
  
Okey dokie, you know the brand new shiny routine. Five reviews, people.  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
Sukera- Ok, I updated. I was as fast as I could, but I didn't rush. I started writing this one as soon as I saw all of the reviews for the last one. Ehe...  
  
butterflygirl013- Ummm... he just healed her because he wanted some extra protection for Rin and he thought that he had the power. Didn't I make that clear enough? As to the purple power, well, if you look around then you might be able to find out about it...  
  
shadownekko- that is just so NICE!! ;D Thank you so much! Even though I still think that I write him a bit overemotional....  
  
blue fox demon- Well, I gave you your update. Arncha proud?  
  
bleedingwings666- I'm glad that you like it! (ps, a lot of the time I don't sign in either. Too lazy)  
  
CometsChaos- gee that's nice. Do you have any suggestions? 


	13. Chapter 12: The Demon's Dreams

If I owned Inuyasha, the story would center on Sesshoumaru, and as it doesn't, that must mean I don't own it.  
  
Chapter 12: A Demon's Dreams  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
I could not stand it much more. Thank the gods that the sun was going down, and then I would be able to start tracking Kagome.  
  
Not that it would be all that hard.  
  
Kagome was easy to track, and so was Naraku. Put them together and it was bordering on a magnet. That just made it more difficult, waiting. I knew that I could find her quickly and well, and not being able to do it was driving me mad.  
  
I swear that the sun had stopped, just to taunt me.  
  
I willed it to move faster and tried to hurry it along with my claws.  
  
My wounds had not yet completely healed, but I had had worse and still fought. I didn't see why the case was different this time.  
  
I growled in frustration and made a fist-sized dent in a nearby tree.  
  
Why didn't the @*#$ sun set already?  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
She had healed me.  
  
That alone had shocked me.  
  
Also, the fact that she had somehow managed to use her power to heal me was an eye opener. I had vaguely wondered why it had been purple, but was too tired to really care. Then the pain had gone away, but my tiredness had not. I had managed to drag myself half-out of the pool that I was kneeling in, and then I collapsed and just slept after telling Rin that I was all right. I had not needed to do that for a long time.  
  
In my dream there had been a black background, some sakura blossoms floating serenely on the breeze and a woman, sitting with her back to me, her blue-black hair spilling down like a waterfall. Some force of the dream world compelled me to walk to her, and when I got there I put a hand on her shoulder. Smiling, she turned around.  
  
"Don't worry," she said in a lightly melodious voice, surprising me. I wasn't worried about anything. "Rin will be safe."  
  
I looked at her in mild amazement that she knew the one thing that had been even mildly bothering me. I could always have brought Rin back to life again if she were killed, but she had already been dead twice, and I did not think that she needed to be again.  
  
She laughed at my expression, her voice ringing out like the chime of silver bells. I grew unemotional once again, putting back up the barriers that the dream had temperately made me drop. She shook her head as if laughing at me again and gave me a hug.  
  
"You need to wake up now," she whispered in my ear, "you are needed." I felt myself torn from the dreamscape, being forced into the world of the living.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Oh, I was dead on my feet. Even my power was more then half-gone, a most impressive feat seeing as how I had gotten it all back when Sesshoumaru had healed me.  
  
But then I guess that using your power for about 14 HOURS STRAIGHT will do that to a person.  
  
Honestly, I was amazed that Sesshoumaru had slept for that long. He must have been really, really, really tired. Really, I don't blame him. I know what he went through, and he did enough to justify anyone sleeping for so long, demon lord or no.  
  
Still, I wish he would wake up already, as I am now probably as tired as he had been.  
  
I caught a very familiar aura as Sesshoumaru started stirring, and, leaving the power-bubble in place, I told Rin to wait, setting off to see it I was simply imagining things.  
  
When I finally tracked my way through the horde of demons to the mouth of the cave I found out that my mind was not playing tricks on me, due to my lack of sleep.  
  
No, Inuyasha and the gang really were there outside the cave.  
  
I was so surprised that some of my purifying energy got away from me and washed out across everything.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Miroku  
  
Demons were everywhere. Behind me, I could vaguely hear Sango shout "Hirokotsu!" as she swung her giant boomerang. Kirrara seemed everywhere at once, tearing and worrying the demons that surrounded her. Inuyasha was slashing wildly with his claws and blades of blood.  
  
We must have slain at least a hundred demons already, but it had still barely made a dent in their numbers. There were untold thousands surrounding us, and still more were pouring from the tear in the sky.  
  
Where had Naraku gotten such numbers?  
  
Behind me, Shippo did what he could, burning like a small star that had fallen to earth and lighting everything within reach with foxfire, and once in a while scoring a few hits with his teeth or claws.  
  
I cursed our loss of Kagome, with her arrows we could have punched a hole through this horde, and slain who knows how many more.  
  
Then again, if we still had Kagome, we would have no need to be in this death trap.  
  
Suddenly, all of the demons surrounding us for about 50 feet started glowing, and shrieking in pain.  
  
Turning white, they disappeared in a flash. By my side, Inuyasha fell to his knees, his hair turning black while he lost his claws and Kirrara and Shippo just plain fell, collapsing in a heap and Kirrara turned back into her kitten form. They would be all right, but it would take some time for them to recover.  
  
Turning to see what had caused this, I looked at the cave and saw a person who was dripping blood.  
  
I looked closer, wondering who it could be.  
  
It looked like... but it couldn't be.  
  
I looked closer, and then all but felt my jaw hit the ground.  
  
It was her.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
I looked around a bit nervously at all of the stunned expressions and staring that were coming my way, courtesy of my companions-from-before-I- was-kidnapped. I looked down at myself, wondering what they were looking at.  
  
Oh.  
  
That.  
  
When I had looked down I had realized that I closely resembled the main character of a Stephen King novel. I began blushing furiously and trying to stammer explanations, but all that came out was an odd, undistinguishable sound that was rather confused. All that I can say for sure was that there was a lot of umming in there.  
  
I somehow managed to get part of the story out when Inuyasha's hair turned white again (I guess I must have purified him along with everything else, oops) and his nose started working again, so he started growling and threatening Sesshoumaru (even though he couldn't hear him) if "the basted" had done anything to me. After I managed to calm him down and explain the rest of it everyone kind of sagged, as with disbelief before the demons hit them again. After that everyone, myself included, was extremely busy. I hurried to get as close as I could to Sesshoumaru again, so that I could take off the shield. Unfortunately before I could make it all the way there, the horde caught up with me.  
  
Why?  
  
Why always me?  
  
So, here I was, maintaining the shield until I could get within controlling range and zapping demons at the same time when my energy was already dangerously low and I was really tired.  
  
Can't you just see the disaster waiting to happen? Well, it did. I tried to purify one last demon that was behind me and about to EAT me but didn't use enough energy. This had slightly better results then flat out trying to use more power then I've got, which would kill me. With this, I only got blasted back about 20 feet and hit my own barrier, which, by the way, is about the equivalent of a stone wall—for hardness anyway.  
  
The world was turning black and all fuzzy and I could hear this voice that was all nice sounding yelling, "Wake up. Woman? Wake up. Kagome, wake up! KAGOME!!" I am not sure if I imagined that though, just like maybe I imagined that big, purple rope that had a mouth and legs and was coming toward me. I mean, do ropes have legs?  
  
I felt some blood trickle down through my hair and giggled weakly. More blood. There was already so much blood in here.  
  
Things were getting darker and fuzzier and I could still see the rope—or whatever it was—and hear the voice that was yelling my name. Or, was it whispering? It was so soft, but it sounded as if it were yelling...  
  
******  
  
Ok, 5 reviews.  
  
And for those of you who were wondering why on earth Kagome didn't just go through the barrier, there are two reasons.  
  
1. She needs to be concentrating on going through her barrier if she wants to and,  
  
2. I just get a sadistic kind of pleasure out of making her life as hard as possible in this story. I am, however, in no way biased. I enjoy doing this to all of the characters, because the more of this that you do, the more you can change their personalities by twisting them around your fingers. Hehehehehehehehehehehehehahahahahahahah!  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
Sayori-chan- I am so glad that you like my story! I hope you didn't get in too much trouble!  
  
Ami- Tell me, has your friend actually read any Kag/Sess pairings?  
  
butterflygirl013- ^__^; ehe. Caught me. Ok, why Sesshoumaru liked his brother way back last chapter (long time ago, huh?) was NOT because I have forgotten/decided to alter the plot. No, for a change, there is actually a method to my madness. Sess still does love his brother, but because emotion=weakness, weakness=death, he hides this pretty well. Why he is always fighting him is because he: 1) as I mentioned, really does want him to survive and was fighting him to make him stronger and 2) he is his brother. Siblings fight. I think that for demons, that would be taken up a notch, doncha think?  
  
Inuyasha101.net- wow, eleven reviews. Not that bad. Luved you comments, but do you think that you could not swear quite so much? It kinda makes me uncomfrotable.  
  
blue fox demon- Well, you must be pretty good at teaching tricks. How did ya like this one?  
  
faerie demoness- It is sad, isn't it?  
  
Sukera- Well, review again and I will put up chapter 13 (as soon as I have it done...) 


	14. Chapter 13: A Golden Glow

We all already know that I do not own Inuyasha or the characters, so don't ask.  
  
Chapter 13: A Golden Glow  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Dark.  
  
Everything was dark and fuzzy and very confused.  
  
Very, very faintly I heard a sweet, high-pitched little voice saying "Kagome-oonechan? Big sister Kagome? Wake up!"  
  
Who was it?  
  
A small girl with big brown eyes and short black hair came floating into my mind.  
  
Rin?  
  
Memories came in a trickle, and I remembered the shield. Oh yea. I had to let Sesshoumaru out.  
  
I concentrated as best I could and released the shield, feeling a giant, soundless explosion rocket out from me in all directions.  
  
It would be okay now.  
  
I slumped down in a faint.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sango  
  
Despite all our efforts, too many were getting by us. I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Kagome was still alive, and if I had anything to say in the matter, she would remain that way.  
  
Kirrara snarled in front of me, bringing me from my exhausted musings with an almost audible bump. Yet more chunks of demon fell onto the pile around me. Sadly, something had lent them extra power so that they were more difficult to kill. No prizes for guessing who the lender was.  
  
I lifted my boomerang for what seemed the millionth time in the past few hours and flung it again.  
  
"Hirokotsu!"  
  
The weapon cut through dozens of the things and then cam sailing back to me as I lifted my arm to grab the leather strap. It ripped through my fingers, nearly taking my arm with it. I looked at hit lying on the blood-soaked ground, feeling disgusted with myself. Never had I been this weak before.  
  
A shrieking in front of me made me look up and I kicked and the demon, the small, concealed blade in the toe of my boot snapping out and slashing the thing. It fell away, screaming differently now as blood flowed from the new wound.  
  
Grimly I drew my katana. There would be times to brood later.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
The first thing that I did when the woman finally let me out was take my claws to the demon who was coming towards her. After all, she had healed me and then kept me from being killed when I was sleeping. That did merit some reward. Making sure that she did not die now would suffice.  
  
After about a half an hour of defending her I sighed, realizing that we would have to move. I could barely breathe as it was, if any more demons were killed in this place I would not be able to take the reek of blood any longer. I would pass out from the lack of air and the suffocating scent. It helped, somewhat at least, that what demons the miko purified did not leave behind blood or gore. As I thought of her and then how I had to kill the demons my youkai, which was causing me to glow a faint forest green, changed, waves of golden light rippling outward from me until all that remained was the golden glow. A demon screeched in front of me and, unthinkingly, I slashed at it.  
  
It let out what would be an earsplitting screech even by human standards. Needless to say, it left my ears ringing. After voicing this cry, it glowed golden like myself and then fell to my feet, smoking faintly; almost as though it was dissolving. I looked, amazed, at the small gashes that I had inflicted on it. I had barely brushed the thing and had not even used my poison! Those scratches should not have been enough to kill it!  
  
I heard the scratching of claws and small splashes from behind me and spun around, slashing once again, vaguely noticing that the golden tinge was gone and my normal green aura had returned.  
  
Sighing, I looked at the girl. As if the stench of the area were not enough incentive, both of us and Rin had bled in this place. That, I knew from experience as a hunter myself, would only make us easier to track. Both of us were strong, but neither could take on this army by ourselves. As much as I hated to admit that I needed help, if we were to make it through this then we would have to work off of one another. I sighed again. If we had to move, then I would have to move her. She was in no condition to do it herself. Gently I wrapped my tail (which I was quite intent on, and so of me was decorated with the least amount of red) around her small form and lifted her, marveling as I did so that one so who looked so delicate could be so strong. Inuyasha did not deserve to have such companions.  
  
I did not think of why I bothered being gentle.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
There was a pool in front of me, its colors shifting and flowing like a living thing. It never remained the same color for long. It was kind of pretty, and I walked up to it to look closer.  
  
The technicolor muck rose up like a snake to greet me as I stepped hesitantly closer and then reached out to touch it.  
  
It grabbed my hand and pulled me into it. I tried to scream and scream and scream at the horror of that touch, at the hard, slimy, soft, fleshy, dripping, gooey, wet, ever shifting hands that seemed to pull me into that pool, and then through it, but after I had screamed only once, the hands covered my mouth. Mentally I shrieked with horror, crying out against the wrongness of everything about that touch. It was not something that should exist, not ever, and now it had me in its clutches. Everything around me had a sense of wrongness to it, and when I tried to purify it all with my power, it was as if a giant chasm had been torn through my power itself, and I felt myself loosing who I was, slipping into the abyss inside me.  
  
I wrenched back from the gaping hole inside me and then suddenly was spit out by the pool–which was now a wall, a wall of many colors that were always shifting.  
  
I don't know how long I knelt on the ground after scrambling away from the one-time pool, hot tears forcing themselves between my lashes. It could have been minutes, or it could have been days. At last I looked around and found myself in a giant maze. I needed to get out of here. I stood and ran in the opposite direction to that which I had come in until I last found myself at a fork. I took the right branch and ran, turning right again whenever I came to a split. When at last I reached the end, it was a dead- end.  
  
I stopped, looking at the end curiously. There seemed to be something large and white resting against the ending wall. I stepped forward and then shrieked in horror, running up to the limp pile of fur.  
  
Kirrara was lying in her full form, for all appearances dead. I collapsed by her side, crying her name as more tears ran down my cheeks.  
  
"Kirrara! Kirrara! Wake up! Oh, wake up please," I begged, my tears falling on the demon.  
  
In a sudden flash of inspiration I concentrated on healing her, whatever her affliction might be. Slowly my hands began to glow purple and I put them next to her, about to try to heal her as I had healed Sesshoumaru. Growing purple as I concentrating on helping the demon.  
  
"Kagome," said a somehow very familiar voice behind me.  
  
I turned around and saw that Sango was standing there in her demon exterminator armor, her hand on the leather strap that she held her boomerang with.  
  
"Sango, do you know what's wrong?" I sobbed, the glow fading from my hands.  
  
"Yes, Kagome. I do." Her voice was so cold.  
  
"What is it? Can I help?" I asked desperately as I stood, the tears making tracks down my face.  
  
"I am afraid that you cannot help, Kagome. You see, the problem is... you." When she said this I stood in shock, staring at her as she swung her boomerang.  
  
She had not swung it hard, but it was a powerful weapon and I felt my legs not just break, but shatter. I screamed in pain, my useless legs crumbling beneath me.  
  
Why was everything still so clear? This much pain should have caused everything to become hazy at the very least. I probably should have fainted by now.  
  
As I fell Kirrara sprang up from behind me, yowled and slashed me across the stomach with her claws, her eyes shining a truly demonic red. Her fangs sank into my shoulder and I screamed again, feeling them come out the other side.  
  
Somehow when I hit the ground I began sinking through it, like I do when I cross the times. Blood roses blossomed on my clothing as I heard the big cat scream in rage and Sango curse.  
  
What had happened to them?  
  
I hit the next level down and screamed in pain again as my legs hit the ground beneath me, crying uncontrollably. Miroku was standing in front of me. I sagged in relief.  
  
"Miroku, Sango and Kirrara have gone nuts! Look what they did to me! Do you know why? Miroku?"  
  
His eyes were so very, very cold and suddenly I was afraid. He did not even answer me, but reached for the rosary beads wrapped around his right hand. I stiffened, my eyes going blank with fear. I tried to move back, but it was no use. I could barely scoot back an inch before collapsing with pain.  
  
"Miroku, please," I begged from my position on the ground. He didn't even reply, but I could feel the wind pulling at me harder and harder and harder. I whimpered, my tears being pulled off my cheeks even as I cried them. Soon I too was pulled into that hole, that black abyss in my friend's palm.  
  
I landed on green grass. I almost cried again at seeing it, at the relief. Until I looked in front of me. Inuyasha was lying on the ground, his beautiful hair stained red and his eyes blank and empty. Slowly he was raised like a marionette, until he was standing again.  
  
"Why Kagome?" he asked, a hurt expression in those empty eyes. "Why did you kill me?"  
  
I tried to tell him that I hadn't killed him, that I never would do such a thing but found that my mouth wouldn't move. I cried and cried and tried to tell him as he looked at me with those empty eyes.  
  
Kikyo stepped up next to him, kissing his cheek. "So, my love, that we could be together," she explained, trailing her arm seductively over his shoulders. He looked at me once again with those dead eyes, this time with a smile on his face.  
  
"Really Kagome? You killed me for us?"  
  
I wanted to deny it, to cry out that I had never killed him, but still I could not speak. I could only continue to watch him helplessly, tears pouring down my cheeks.  
  
"Of course, as she does have part of my soul she could always join us in death."  
  
I heard a bow twang and then felt an arrow punch through my chest.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
The still sleeping girl moaned and thrashed, occasionally whimpering or whispering "No," in hushed tones. It was annoying me. The noise was helping the demons find us, this I knew. More were appearing then should be with two different tracks to follow.  
  
Finally, at a loss as to what else to do, I picked her up once more in my tail. She began to calm almost instantly, the violent shudders that had wracked her frame replaced by a mild trembling before vanishing completely. Finally she sighed contentedly and nuzzled deeper into the fur.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
"Don't look," a soft male voice whispered from behind me as strong arms wrapped themselves around me. "It's not real."  
  
I blinked away my tears and found that I had my voice again. "Daddy?" I whispered shakily.  
  
"No, but don't worry. It isn't real."  
  
The red and black maze faded out and I found myself on a hilltop, my injuries gone, and rather then my uniform I was wearing a sundress. He, whoever he was, was still holding me while I trembled.  
  
"See?" he asked when I recovered slightly.  
  
"Is this real?" I asked curiously.  
  
"No, but it's more real then back there."  
  
"Thank you," I whispered as I closed my eyes and curled up next to him. He chuckled quietly and held me.  
  
"Quite a mess you had gotten yourself into there," he commented in a soft voice. "How could I do anything but help?"  
  
"Still, thank you," I said, turning my head to tuck it under his chin.  
  
"Who are you anyway?" I asked dreamily as I watched the clouds sail overhead.  
  
"Idiot," he said almost affectionately, slapping my arm lightly, "you aren't supposed to ask that. Wake up."  
  
I came awake slowly, wrapped in something white.  
  
******  
  
...........o___O........... Whoooooooooa. Looooooong chapter this time. In fact, I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that this is the longest chappie so far. .......@_____o.........  
  
Man, that would be a nightmare. All but the end, that is. If I had a dream like that, I probably wouldn't sleep for a year. Honestly, I didn't know that it would turn out so bad. I had wanted her to have a nightmare, but still I didn't know that it would be the nightmare to top all nightmares.  
  
I just had to give her a bit of good stuff at the end, doncha think?  
  
Sooooooo... Has anyone guessed the mystery of the golden youki and the purple power yet? I promise that they are very closely related. You just have to think back a while to a seemingly unimportant event.... Anyone who guesses correctly gets a pan of virtual brownies and this Sesshoumaru doll!!! (He interacts with you, but I warn you, if you win, DO NOT let him use his poison claws. I am now down one radio because of that...)  
  
IMPORTANT: Next time I update, I am going to change the genera from Drama/Romance to Drama/Action/Adventure. This does not mean that I have changed the story, but the first installment (this story) will not have as much romance as the next. Sorry about that. If you could put three different genres then I would add romance too.  
  
Five Reviews. That is all.  
  
Reviewer Responses: (;D YAY!!!!!! Keep those reviews comin' people!)  
  
blutterflygirl013- Whew. I'm glad that you don't think that I'm crazy with my odd Sesshoumaru's-relationship-with-Inuyasha thing.  
  
Tusnaigi Water Angel- I'm glad you liked it! Thanx for reviewing!  
  
Sayori-chan- *blush, blush* Umm, Kagome is really disoriented and, remember how I had a demon coming for her? That is the purple rope thing. Ehe.  
  
Sukera- ... umm... I'm glad you... like it?  
  
blue fox demon- Arf, arf! (I'm not all that bad at writing for a dog, huh?) 


	15. Chapter 14: While you were Sleeping

Disclaimer: Yea I own Inuyasha. Sure I own Inuyasha *dry laugh*  
  
Chapter 14: While you were Sleeping  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Naraku  
  
I smiled as I bent and let my hands enter the cool, clear stream, watching as red ribbons curled lazily from them to wind their way down around rocks and other obstacles.  
  
In my mind's eye the storeowner was still screaming, his blood spraying out in intoxicating patterns. He had indeed paid well for his trick, and the ironic thing was that his death would only make me all the more respected and revered. You see, he will have been killed by a rouge demon and I would avenge him. The people would trust me all the more, and it's so easy to manipulate trusting people.  
  
I laughed quietly as I thought about it. Soon I would be invincible, and not from the Shikon no Tama but from the people who were willing to die to protect me from the "evil demons." Then I could obtain the fabled jewel and let it drink in more and more hateful blood, watching as its dark powers grew with each passing day. It would not only be beneficial, but amusing to defile something normally so pure and clean. There was nothing that she, the cursed woman who would not die, could do to stop me. And when I had the jewel, then I would be immortal. None would be able to oppose me once I absorbed the wonderful, hateful thing.  
  
Not even Kikyo.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Rin  
  
IT WASN'T FAIR! Sesshoumaru-sama never let me ride in his tail like that! I wined once again that I wanted to ride in his tail too (forgetting that Sesshoumaru-sama had told me to be quiet because I wanted to tell him that I could ride on his tail) and then he scared me, a little.  
  
He turned around and looked at me like he was mad at me and then growled a little and told me that he had told me to be quiet and his eyes were kinda red. My eyes got really big and I remembered him telling me to be quiet then. I had better stay quiet like he asked me too. Sesshoumaru-sama never tells me to do anything unless there is a good reason for it. Besides, he was looking at me like he was mad at me, and he had never done that before. I sat down on a little rock and waited until Sesshoumaru-sama said that I could talk again.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
The air was so full of my curses that you could have cut it with a knife. Sunset was coming fast now and we would need to go within the next few minutes if we wanted to get away fast enough for my secret to remain a secret, and yet we still had not completed our aim. To be more specific, Kagome was still trapped in that cave with the demons and my half-brother (who I didn't trust farther then I could through him—and me getting close enough to even try throwing him was about as likely as Sango not giving Miroku Hirokotsu over the head anymore) and who knows what else. So, seeing nothing else that I could do, I used every colorful word in every language that I knew. Sango and Miroku stood looking at me as though in awe and after about half a minute Miroku remembered that he had better cover Shippo's ears, which he did, much to the fox kit's protests.  
  
When I started repeating myself Sango, at least, came out of her daze and said that we had better get moving. As much as I hated to, I had to agree with her. The humans mounted Kirrara and Shippo climbed onto my shoulder before we took off from the bloodstained battleground and traveled west.  
  
Before we left, I paused and looked back at the entrance to the cave, my eyes softening as I did so. 'Kagome,' I thought sadly as I looked at the mouth of the cave, 'will I ever see you alive again?'  
  
For a second, I wondered why I cared so much. Not even Kikyo...  
  
I suppose it was that she was the nearest thing to family that I could remember other then my mother. Sesshoumaru—well, I don't count him as family. Would you count your murderous half-brother as part of you family? But my mother had died when I was so young, and I had almost always been alone after that.  
  
And then, Kagome. She had amazed me with her strength, her versatility, the way that she could easily adapt to fit almost any situation. She stayed with me, and for once in my life I knew what it felt like to have someone hold me as an equal to themself. And now I had failed her. Naraku had captured her and all that I could do was pray that she would be all right until I could come back.  
  
And when I did, Naraku would pay for every drop of blood of hers that had been spilt.  
  
Why did I care so much?  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
I groaned softly. I did not want to wake up. Really. I so did not want to wake up. I tried to fall back asleep, but in vain. I didn't want to go to school today. After all, I think that I earned a break, what with fighting off all those demons with Sesshoumaru....  
  
My eyes flew open and I found myself in something soft and fluffy and white. WHY WAS I IN SESSHOUMARU'S TAIL?!?!?!?!?!?! WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME!!!!!!!  
  
I sat halfway up and looked around, finding that we were in a different place then when I had passed out. Maybe that's why I was in the tail, because Sesshoumaru had to move me and couldn't spare his only arm. That made sense, kind of, but I cannot help but wonder why, if that was indeed the case, he went to all that trouble. I mean, recent evidence removed, he had always led all of us to believe that he was a cold, heartless, cruel, unfeeling demon who cared for humans less then hanyous, if such a thing were possible. So... why didn't he just leave me to die?  
  
Could it be that all of us, including his own brother, were wrong all this time?  
  
"Ah," he said and then dumped me on the ground, "you're awake."  
  
Ignore what I just said.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
I felt bad about scaring Rin, but that was one of the only times when she was truly getting on my nerves. I mean, I get one of them to be quiet and then the other starts.  
  
Humans.  
  
Females.  
  
At least she was silent afterward.  
  
Why, oh why had she chosen this of all times to start questioning my orders? Any other time it would not have mattered as much, had circumstances been normal. At least the girl was awake now and Rin would not have my holding her in my tail to whine about.  
  
Needless to say, as soon as I saw that she was awake I dumped her out. Well, what would you have done?  
  
The girl gave me a scathing glare as she climbed to her feet, saying, "Thanks a lot," in (as near as I could figure) the most sarcastic way she knew.  
  
Still, I replied calmly. Very few things fazed me, and these little barbs would not pierce my armor. "For what, saving your life?" I asked coolly.  
  
She gave me a look that I am sure was designed to burn, and while it might work with her little friends, I was different. I ignored her which seemed to make her spitting mad as she snapped at everything that I said as I explained the conclusion that I had come to while she was sleeping.  
  
"The great Sesshoumaru, working with a human?" she jeered, still trying to get a rise out of me. "Has the world ended without my notice?"  
  
"Do not trifle with this Sesshoumaru," I said in a voice like ice. This girl could not take a hint! "You know as well as I that neither of us can punch through this horde alone."  
  
She rolled her eyes, turning and walking away from me. "Yea, well, I can try, and I think that maybe I would rather do that," she said as she stalked away from me, openly scorning and spurning me. My demon pride could only take so much. The blood of a taiyoukai surged in my veins, demanding that I teach her proper respect and so I came after her, adrenaline pumping through me and activating the glands in my palms that controlled my poison. Without turning around she sent up a wall of power right in front of me and, unthinkingly, I stepped into it. I pulled back immediately, but not soon enough not to hit it. Still, there was no burning pain and when I looked down, I was once again glowing with a golden hue. Curiously, I pressed my hand up against the wall of white power. There was still no burning. I looked at my golden form.  
  
Why would this golden aura affect my own demonic aura enough that a miko whose powers rivaled the Midoriko herself's would not burn like acid against my skin?  
  
Slowly I pressed my hands against the sheet of white fire and waited for the pain that would not come. I stared, still in awe, at my glowing hands as I felt the power pulse under my fingers. She was so strong!  
  
Suddenly my aura turned its normal deep green again and the power, which had felt warm and almost comforting, felt as though it was eating through my skin. Immediately, instinctively, I pulled my hands back and looked at my now-dull claws as they sharpened.  
  
What had just happened?  
  
******  
  
GOMEN NE!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO SORRY THAT I DID NOT UPDATE IN SO LONG!!!!!!!!!! Now, I know that you all want to murder me, but first hear me out and if you still are out for blood, remember that dead people do not update!  
  
My computer (which at times can be sooooo stupid) would not turn on. That is the long and short of it. The chapter was on the computer, and the computer would not go on when I pushed the button. Again, I am sorry. I will get chapter 15 up ASAP to make up for it. (aka, as soon as it is written and I have 5 more reviews)  
  
Naraku is a sicko, is he not? I did not actually imagine him being this... wrong when I started out writing, but hey, whatever. As they say on fictionpress, let the words flow.  
  
Congrads Kagome. You can officially get under Sesshou's skin! This is another of those things that I did not plan, but look at how it turned out! Yet another obstacle to a romance! *sigh*  
  
For those of you wondering, Sesshoumaru's claws are dull because he just came in contact with a miko's powers, and they almost began to purify his own.  
  
Speaking of which...  
  
Last chance for the brownies! You have officially lost the Sesshoumaru doll (maybe it's just as well... NO, DON'T YOU DARE USE YOUR TOXIC FLOWER CLAWS AGAI... SESSHOUMARU!!!!!!! Ehe. Sorry about that) but you can still get the brownies. If all goes as planned, you will get the answer next chappie if you do not guess, but then you will not get any virtual brownies, so go on people! Guess! (Cum on, the answer is sitting in front of you if you would care to look...)  
  
o__o Well well well. This will make things more complicated. The whole Inuyasha's pov this chappie, I mean. *sigh* Why do I always do this to myself? WHY?! Sometimes I feel like I'm digging my own grave and I keep on digging deeper and deeper and deeper... this is not an easy plot to write. Don't believe me? YOU try.  
  
Ok, sorry about that, just needed someone to complain to. I'm sure that I'll eventually find a way out...  
  
Five reviews  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
HarrySlytherin*son- I'm glad that you like the story! (PS, it is spelled Kagome. Did you just typo?)  
  
Missyeru- I lov Kag/Sess pairings too! Hey, if you like them so much, then go to A Single Spark, , which is an Sesshou/Kagome website!  
  
Sukera- Well, then I'm glad you love it, because now that you have another chappie everyone will be happy...  
  
Waizu Yoru Ame Otome- Is there anyone who does not like long chapters?  
  
Crimson colored clocked figure- I'm not? *looks at self* Hey, I'm not!  
  
butterflygirl013- Did you like what you saw?  
  
Sayori-chan- well, you should be seeing plenty more of that dream guy *giggle* 


	16. Chapter 15: Song in the Silence

If you are still trying to figure out whether or not I own Inuyasha, then I think that it's safe to say that you are a few fries short of a happy meal (go ahead, count 'em and see)  
  
Chapter 15: Song in the Silence  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Okay.  
  
That was strange.  
  
Sesshoumaru was really annoying me, and so I sent up a wall of power so that he could not get through and for a minute, it sang. As with joy.  
  
Ok, that did not make any sense—let me try again.  
  
I sent up a wall of my power, and, as usual, felt it. My power feels like a tiger sometimes, when it is purifying a demon; it feels like it is powerful and angry and could rip you to shreds, and sometimes it feels like what I had always imagined it would feel like to be wrapped up in a cloud—you know, up until I learned that clouds are water—soft and gentle and warm and safe. Normally I can just feel it there, pulsating gently, humming with power and warmth, and at first that was how it felt when I sent out the wall. Then, for some reason, it sang. It was a high, weird, joyful, eerie, wonderful ring that was somehow was the very embodiment of life, and why it was worth living, and all that was good and clean and pure and perfect. It felt as though the rocks themselves were trilling in happiness.  
  
I'm not sure if anyone else could hear that melody, but it was life. I know that that sounds weird, but it is the only way that I can describe it.  
  
If joy itself and life and happiness and laughter and brooks babbling and purity and cleanliness and the light of the stars and the moon and the sun were blended together and made into a sound, it would probably be very close to that one.  
  
Slowly I turned around, looking over my shoulder to see if I could see what was making my power do that. I did not see what I expected. At all.  
  
Sesshoumaru had his hands resting gently against my wall of translucent white fire and was looking at them in awe. He was glowing a pure, rich gold, like molten sunlight had been poured over him. Why was that? Wasn't his normal aura green, the color that shines through new leaves when the sun hits them just right? And why was he touching my power? And why was it singing as it came in contact with his power?  
  
Then I heard something that confused me even more. There was a humming, a pulse that sounded as though it was deep within the earth and yet was somehow also trumpets being blown above the clouds that mirrored the song of my own power coming from him.  
  
Sesshoumaru.  
  
Who was glowing gold.  
  
And who did not "feel" like a demon, but a saishi.  
  
As he was glowing.  
  
Golden, not green.  
  
As he was touching my power.  
  
And it wasn't hurting him.  
  
And my power was singing.  
  
And I am sorry about carrying on, but this is an upheaval of everything that I thought I knew about myself, my power, Sesshoumaru, my sanity, and the world at large. I am sure that, in my position, you would do the same.  
  
The two songs seemed to be twining around each other like cats, and mixing and reverberating and echoing and laughing at meeting one another. It sounded like two very old friends who had not met in a long time had just ran into one another, and were amazed and startled and happy at the coincidence.  
  
"I can't believe that you're here, of all places," the songs seemed to say as they sang their melody of life.  
  
Then, suddenly, my power was snarling, a tiger once more, and it snapped in a blind rage at the green Sesshoumaru was once again. It was tearing it apart, and the green was shrilling as though it was in pain. As soon as his hands began to glow green once more, Sesshoumaru snatched them back. His face was the same old mask; but I had begun to learn to read his eyes rather then his expression. It had hurt him.  
  
Suddenly a crazy idea began to form in my head.  
  
Things started swirling together and making more sense.  
  
Sesshoumaru.  
  
A golden glow that sang in contact with my power and a green that shrank from it.  
  
Me.  
  
White fire that hurt demons and purple that helped them.  
  
Power, mixing, splitting.  
  
What was the connection?  
  
All of a sudden, memory hit me and I gasped.  
  
What if...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Miroku  
  
The sun had probably set about an hour ago—I wasn't sure of the exact time. Inuyasha was walking through a meadow nearby. He had, needless to say, not been happy to turn into a human, and for quite some time told us that while he didn't mind—really—turning into a human, (which was a lie) WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE TONIGHT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  
  
I shall not hear clearly for months.  
  
I was startled out of my memory by Sango, who suddenly asked, "What's going on? I've been sitting next to you all this time and you still haven't gotten slapped or hit over the head with Hirokotsu."  
  
Oh yes. She had been sitting beside me on this rock. I looked up at her as I remembered, smiling crookedly.  
  
She smiled the same half-smile back and then looked away. Suddenly, she stood up and grabbed Kagome's bow and quiver. I was about to ask what she was doing when she started shooting arrow after arrow into the trunk of a nearby tree. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she dementedly shot until the quiver was empty, and then went to the tree, removed the arrows, came back, and began shooting again.  
  
"Why-can't-we-do-anything?" she demanded harshly to the air as she shot, punctuating each word with another arrow. Going to collect the arrows once more, she sagged against the trunk and sank to the ground, her thin form shaking. Kirrara jumped from the ground and wrapped herself around Sango's shoulders and then gave me a steely glare, as though commanding me to get over there. Ah, well. I guess that she is a cat.  
  
Standing and going over I knelt by her. "She is strong," I whispered to Sango. "She will be fine."  
  
"How do you know?" she asked, and I could hear the despair in her voice.  
  
Putting my fingers under her chin I gently tilted her head until she was facing me. "I know her, and so do you. I know."  
  
Then a faint spark of hope showed her huge brown eyes and she leaned her head against my shoulder and cried as I hugged her.  
  
No one said anything more, but I held onto my whisp of hope as she held onto hers and cried. Sango's eyes had shown a spark of hope, however faint, when I had said what I did. I clung to that spark like a drowning man's lifeline.  
  
Sango knew Kagome better then I, and she had seen hope.  
  
Kagome had a chance then.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
My mind flickered back to my imprisonment in the mirror.  
  
Blood.  
  
Light.  
  
No blood.  
  
Dancing, twirling, spinning. Flirting with death.  
  
More blood, Sesshoumaru's this time.  
  
More light.  
  
No blood.  
  
I remember saying "An eye for an eye," before beginning the dance again.  
  
What if Sesshoumaru's "blood"...  
  
Suddenly I concentrated and let the purple light wash over myself once more.  
  
Walking up to my barrier, I steeled myself and then slammed my hands against it.  
  
PAIN.  
  
I collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, falling to the ground to lie in a heap, shivering as I curled into a ball.  
  
Ok, not the smartest idea that I'd ever had, turning the tiger on myself, but hey, at least now I knew.  
  
The purple energy was at least partially youki.  
  
And I think that my and Sesshoumaru's getting our "blood" on one another in the dream world that had been the mirror was the cause.  
  
That was why the power had not hurt him.  
  
He had some bit of my power mixed with his, and likewise with me—only reversed.  
  
That explained a lot.  
  
It also caused some problems, as now my power would be less effective against him (and his against me, really, but I did not think about that).  
  
Faintly I felt my control slip and my wall collapse, the power of it sliding back into me.  
  
******  
  
Ok,  
  
saishi- priest.  
  
All right? Now no one review and tell me that I didn't tell you, because I did.  
  
Not that I've had a problem with this, but... nevermind.  
  
It looks like this will turn into a Sango/Miroku fic too! This is another of those things that happen without me planning them. I wanted to do this, but I could not figure how I would and then, voialá! There is the solution! Funny how that works...  
  
Reviewer Responses: (\__/ why did no one even guess?!?)  
  
Crystal Echoes-I know what you mean. I have been sooooooo busy... (Infinity Moon- Pervert.)  
  
butterflygirl013- Maybe a bit, but let me explain. The reason that I wanted five reviews is that—even if they do not suggest anything—reviews inspire me. The more reviews I get, the faster I write, the faster I write, the faster I update, the faster I update, the faster you get the chappie. By asking for five, I was really speeding up the whole process. Ok? That is why. I do try to update as soon as the chapter is done, but the less reviews that I get, the slower it is done. Answer your questions? If you have any more, just ask, and I will do my best to answer.  
  
Sukera- I updated (duh) and I made it quick... Did you luv it? Can we all be happy as you are?  
  
darakeru kitsune- Did you like it? Do you have any suggestions? 


	17. Chapter 16: Twitter twitter twitter

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I may not own Inuyasha— But then, neither do you.  
  
Chapter 16: Twitter twitter twitter  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
I was still brooding.  
  
I should be there, doing something, and where was I?  
  
Sitting in this *&@##$ #$!$% *&^$% meadow!  
  
(A/N: he keeps this up for about an hour, and as I see no reason to subject you to that, we are skipping ahead)  
  
"Kagome," I whispered with my back to a tree, sorrow taking over.  
  
Why did I care about her so much? Never, when I thought that Kikyo was dead, had I worried this much over it. I had thought that she was dead, mourned, and moved on—at least somewhat. She had not occupied my thoughts and haunted me. Not so this time. I couldn't even think of trying to think of anything but her.  
  
Kagome—trapped in that cave with my half-brother.  
  
Why?  
  
Why did it have to be Sesshoumaru—of all people—who was there with her?  
  
Could it not have been someone—anyone—else?  
  
Suddenly I had an image of Naraku being there instead.  
  
Ok, not anyone.  
  
Almost anyone then.  
  
Restless, I got up and paced.  
  
Luckily it was summer—shorter nights, but still the darkness lasted far too long.  
  
I clenched and unclenched my fists, painfully aware of my weakness and lack of any weapon but tetsusaiga, and in its katana form, it could hardly be called that.  
  
I growled and flipped around again, pacing like a caged tiger. And I was in a cage; though not a physical one. I was in a cage made of weakness, the cage of my blood; half human, half demon; one strong, one weak. Normally I could break my cage, but one night of the month...  
  
Why did it have to be tonight?  
  
Why did she have to be in that &%#$@! cave?  
  
Why with my half-brother?  
  
Why with Sesshoumaru?  
  
Why, why, why, why, why...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
Her power had not hurt me, but it had hurt her.  
  
WHAT WAS GOING ON?  
  
What could have caused this?  
  
Me, glowing with a golden power, her and her new violet energy; her power not hurting me when I glowed gold and yet stinging like normal when my aura turned green. Her sending up a wall of white fire, and then that power turning on her when she had nudged it with the purple.  
  
At least, I am assuming that her power hurt her.  
  
I think that her collapsing when she touched her wall put some credit behind my reasoning. After she touched it with the dark power it softened and flowed like water downhill toward her, briefly pooling around her form and then drawing into her, back to the well within her. She had lain still for a few minutes then, but soon she began stirring and then climbed to her feet, wincing.  
  
"I think I know," was the first thing that she said when she had at last managed to steady herself.  
  
I gave her a questioning glare.  
  
"You know," she said impatiently, waving her hand at me, "about the power. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you didn't always have golden youki, did you?"  
  
I looked down at her, still silent.  
  
"Thought so," she said with a grin, and then winced again. "Good grief, is that what it feels like when anything is purified?"  
  
"I would not know," I said, in a tone slightly more sharp then the one that I normally use. "You were the one who experienced it."  
  
"Well, it felt like I was hit by a thunderbolt, and then some strong acid was poured all over me," she said in a cheerful manner.  
  
I looked at her, slightly puzzled. Why, if it had felt like that, was she smiling?  
  
Looking up at me, she smiled again, almost laughing out loud. "Well," she said, still in that deludedly happy manner, "lately I've had so many broken bones, wounds, concussions, fainting fits and pain that it's all starting to seem almost normal. See? What just happened was normal. Kind of. Well, not normal normal, but I'm getting so used to having some thing or another happen to me every few minutes..." she stopped then, looked at me, seemed to think on what she had been saying, and blushed. "Ah yea, and so I figure that you might as well be happy..."  
  
I stared at her in a half wondering, half searching way. She must have hit her head pretty hard last time she had been knocked out.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
I was babbling.  
  
There was no excuse.  
  
I was just babbling on and on and on and Sesshoumaru was giving me funny looks. Seeing as how he is just not the type of person to give funny looks, I began to see that I must have been acting truly odd.  
  
I am sure, that had I been back home, my friends would've asked me what crack I was smoking.  
  
And so what did I do?  
  
I kept on babbling, trying to babble away my previous babbling and all the time I could feel my cheeks get redder and redder and redder and Sesshoumaru just kept on giving me those looks that said he was rather worried about my state upstairs.  
  
A free piece of advice, When you find that you are babbling STOP TALKING! If you continue to talk, then you will babble more and just discredit yourself further.  
  
And then you will get people giving you funny looks. People who normally don't give funny looks. WHY ME?!?!?!?!?!?!  
  
Finally though, I did take a hint and shut up. I am sure at that point you could have fried an egg on my face, but hey, at least I managed to keep quiet.  
  
Demons started showing up right about that time, which helped. It also brought to mind that we should probably start trying to get out of here. I voiced this, and Sesshoumaru gave me another of his almost sarcastic, finally-figured-it-out,-did-you? glares.  
  
Ya know, I think that I annoyed him when I pulled a prima donna because he was annoying me.  
  
Funny, not much gets under his skin.  
  
After that, I put Rin in a protective bubble that I could move when I needed to and we started making our slow way to the mouth of the cave.  
  
Needless to say (despite me using my miko powers and Sesshoumaru using his limited purification powers so that there would be less), there was a lot of blood.  
  
******  
  
No cliffie this time. Please review people! Really, aside from that, there is not a whole lot to say about this chapter. I do not think that it is the best that I have ever done, but keep reading.  
  
The end is in sight!  
  
And then *sigh* I will have another whole rat's nest of problems.  
  
Why do I do this to myself? WHY?  
  
Reviewer responses:  
  
Sayori-chan- I must say, I considered it. I really did. But, you know, it just seemed a bit too serious for that... And yes, the whole power thing will most likely cause a whole rat's nest of problems for Kag and Sess, but it will also cause some good things... that you can't know about yet. Heh heh heh heh  
  
Missyeru- Yea, it might be a good idea to read the entire chapter. /_\; ehe. No, the website is kagsess.forsaken-faith.org. (there is not a period after the org...) Sorry, autoformat changed the address to a link, and I guess that ff.net would not load it. .../_\...  
  
WinterBlossom/Yuki*Sakura- I do too. It's sweet.  
  
antisocial mint- Ok, here you go!  
  
Sukera- Yes, your majesty  
  
Faerie Demoness- Well, I thought of the whole power-mix thing a long time ago. Don't ask me how. I think in strange ways.  
  
silverspun- Well, you got more, par your request. Luv me? 


	18. Chapter 17: Sorry to Burst your Bubble n...

You know, so don't sue me or *shakes fist in a threatening manner*  
  
Chapter 17: Sorry to Burst you Bubble (not really)  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sango  
  
I watched the sky glow gold and orange and hot pink and fresh green as the sun came up. It was dawn, and (surprisingly enough) Miroku had kept his hands to himself all night, just sitting next to me with his arm around my shoulders once I pulled away from his hug. It had been nice, not only sitting next to him because he was so warm, but also him not groping me for once when I was within reaching distance. It made me wonder a bit, but I figured that he was too worried for anything like that.  
  
Maybe Kagome should get kidnapped more often.  
  
Ha ha.  
  
Inuyasha came striding over then, his hair still looking like it was having white paint poured all over it while his claws, teeth, and ears sharpened as his eyes returned to their normal golden hue.  
  
"Well?" he asked loudly as soon as he got close, "Why are we waiting?"  
  
Sounded like he was feeling better.  
  
"You," I said as I stood up, knowing that it would annoy him. Everyone was getting less tense now that we were going back. It would be all right now.  
  
Shippo jumped on his shoulder, as he had coming here while I walked over to Kirrara along with Miroku and Inuyasha yelled how was not waiting for us in an annoyed tone before taking off.  
  
Sighing, I climbed on Kirrara, warned Miroku to continue keeping his hands to himself, and then took off after him. Yes, we were back in our normal little group.  
  
Almost.  
  
Now, we needed to go and reclaim Kagome to finish it.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Sesshoumaru  
  
Finally, after all night, we were at the entrance. We were both tired almost to the point of exhaustion from battling all that time and we had both obtained new wounds that were healing as we stood there—draining both of our power supplies further. It was not the best of situations, but the demons had stopped coming.  
  
Vaguely I wondered if that was all of them, or if the casualty list had simply grown so high that Naraku had cut off the supply.  
  
After all, I knew how one in a position of power needed his armies to stay there. As Kagome and myself had just proved, even the most powerful need support; even against the lowliest of demons, if there were enough.  
  
Kagome walked up to the entrance with all the energy that she could be expected to have and then suddenly stopped, looking as though she had run into something, and rings of faint light—all different colors—radiated out from where she had stopped.  
  
She made a face. "Barrier," she said, unnecessarily, and then began pounding on it with her fists.  
  
"Come-on-you-stupid-thing..." she said as she tried to beat her way out of the cave.  
  
Finally she stopped, backed up a few paces and, placing her hands on her hips, gave the thing a glare which looked very like my own as she tapped her foot in an impatient way.  
  
She was walking back to it again—to do what, I'm not quite sure—when she suddenly stiffened; every muscle in her body going ridged.  
  
This behavior puzzled me, and I looked at her closely. I was only more baffled when I saw her giving the outside world a questioning glare that looked half amazed.  
  
"What?..."she breathed as she looked out...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Inuyasha  
  
I tell ya, if Sango weren't one of my friends....  
  
Oh well.  
  
I was coming up on the small cave fast, and then I would know. I felt sick inside, hollow and empty, at not knowing. Was she still all right?  
  
'Kagome.'  
  
What would I do if she weren't? Oh, I didn't want to let that thought touch me, but it always seemed to.  
  
'Kagome.'  
  
The word echoed through my thoughts, taking my mind with her image, her scent, her laughing eyes, her soft, sweet voice as it had all night.  
  
That had been torture.  
  
Soon, the small river that meandered its winding way around the cave came into sight, and I ran faster, listening to Kirrara—who was behind me—struggle to keep up. After another half hour, I could no longer hear her, but still I sped on, demanding that I go faster, faster, faster. If she was still all right, my having done that might help keep her that way.  
  
'Kagome.'  
  
Finally I touched down in the small meadow—which was not really a meadow anymore, but a small lake of blood—and ran up to the entrance, trying to see Kagome. Vaguely I noticed that Shippo wasn't on my shoulder anymore, but didn't really care.  
  
I didn't care because she was standing right next to the mouth of the cave, apparently no worse for the wear except for the fact that she was dripping with blood, even more so the when I had last seen her. Briefly I wondered why she didn't just step outside instead of standing there. There seemed to be nothing but air between her and escape.  
  
Slightly farther back in the cavern and to the side I could see my half- brother standing regally, looking as he always did—cool and unruffled, despite having been dyed red by blood. I could not really see any white on him; outfit, tail and hair, even his skin was darker then normal. Still, he was calm and collected, although there did seem to be a trace of weariness in his eyes.  
  
Ah.  
  
He was really tired then.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kagome hissed, bringing my attention back to her. She stared at me with her huge blue-gray eyes and a look that made me doubt my own intelligence, so full were they with a kind of wondered and yet berating disbelief. "Are you crazy? You're still too weak to be decking it out with a thousand demons. Never mind that they aren't here. Go! Go now!"  
  
'Why,' my mind screamed as I fell back like I had been hit by a thunderbolt (which I had been, in a way) 'is she telling me to go? Doesn't she care that I'm here?'  
  
~.~.~.~.~.Kagome  
  
Was he crazy?  
  
What was he doing here?  
  
He was still too weak to be doing as much fighting as he had been, not only from his injuries from—ehem—me, but also last night had been the new moon.  
  
I had been battling my way through a particularly thick clump of demons when the thought had struck me.  
  
It was d-night.  
  
It was the new moon.  
  
And here I was, kidnapped, and doubtless Inuyasha would be trying to rescue me and fighting off hordes of demons AND HE WAS WEAKER THEN NORMAL!!!!! I could not focus all night, thinking of how if he got killed, it would totally be my fault.  
  
Nice feeling, huh?  
  
And here I find that he (while, at least, intelligent enough to get out of it all for the night) had come rushing back as soon as he could WHEN HE WAS STILL WEAKER!!!!!!  
  
Ok, it was sweet, and it did show that he cares about me, but still!!!!  
  
"Go?" Inuyasha asked, his tone almost trembling with confusion, hurt, betrayal, loss, pain, shock and sorrow. "Without you?" He was acting like I had just torn his heart from his chest and thrown it across the road where I had ground it into the dirt. Actually, I probably had.  
  
My heart filled with pain of my own then, for putting him though this, but I tried to fill my eyes with anger and then said as harshly as I could manage, "Yes, go! Go now!"  
  
His eyes were dark and dull and the life was gone from them and I felt like my heart was bleeding then. I wish that I didn't have to do this to Inuyasha, my oldest friend from this place. I tried to keep the tears from my eyes as I said, "Inuyasha, I wish I could come but I can't, and you can't stay here, you're not strong enough."  
  
"What do you mean, you can't leave?" he demanded harshly, his voice filling the air with the sound of hurt and betrayal. "All you do is step through there." He waved his hand into the cave and back again to illustrate his point.  
  
I stared.  
  
"Do that again," I said slowly, an idea slowly forming.  
  
"What?" he asked in a soft, rough voice that just screamed 'I no longer care about anything.' "This?"  
  
His hand went into and back out the barrier for the second time.  
  
My breath came fast then and I stared at him excitedly.  
  
"Waitasec!" I yelled and then turned around and ran to Rin, letting the small barrier fall away before scooping her up into my arms and carried her back to where I had stood before, right in front of the barrier.  
  
"Rin," I said softly, "would you do something for me? Reach out right in front of you and see if anything happens."  
  
Happy to please, Rin stretched out a tiny hand and touched the surface of the up-till-then invisible barrier. Rainbow rings that looked like the surface of a bubble rippled out from her. Rin squealed in delight and then reached out with her other hand, touching the slightly warm, slippery barrier. She watched in delight as more rings grew from the place that she had touched, rippling outward like the disturbed surface of a pond.  
  
"Inuyasha," I said, "will you please reach back in here and take Rin's hand?"  
  
He gave me a, still sad, funny look, (oh yea, I think that I've broken the world record on the most of those in a 24 hour period) and then did what I asked.  
  
"Rin," I said to her, "Go to Inuyasha, ok?"  
  
"Hai," the little girl giggled and then skipped out of the cave—guided by Inuyasha's hand—and wrapped her arms around his legs, still giggling. I felt like doing it myself.  
  
"Yes," I laughed. "Here, take my hand," I said, and then waited until Inuyasha stuck his hand back in. Grabbing it, I ran outside, almost giddy to be out of that cave. I gave the hanyou a quick hug, noticing that life seemed to be seeping back into his eyes, and then turned around.  
  
"Sesshoumaru," I said, fighting to keep from laughing more, "here." I stuck my own hand in the barrier—which felt as though it were only air from that side—and grabbed his, dragging him out. It had been kind of funny though, because my hand had gone all tingly when I grabbed his.  
  
The feeling went away as soon as I dropped his hand though, and right after that I had walked back up to the cave, taken a deep breath and thrust both my hands back inside, and then focused all of my power until it kind of resembled a giant needle. I shoved that needle into the barrier.  
  
POP.  
  
That is what it felt like. Like a bubble was popping, or something. It was a bit strange, and then instantly the air didn't have this humming, that I hadn't even noticed, in it anymore.  
  
Turning around I saw Sesshoumaru kneeling by Rin, holding her, while all of the members of my gang but Inuyasha stared at him with a mix of wariness and disbelief in all of their identical expressions.  
  
But Inuyasha was looking at me.  
  
He was looking at me with a soft expression that was brimming with life and had joy etched deeply into it.  
  
"Kagome," he said in a soft, slightly husky voice as he stepped closer, reducing the odd foot-and-a-half that had been between us to about six inches, and then reaching out and cupping my face in his hand, looking into my eyes.  
  
"Oh, Kagome Kagome Kagome. You don't know how scared I've been that I might lose you."  
  
He was whispering, and his golden eyes were the softest that I had ever seen them and I was gazing back dreamily and he was leaning in even closer. I smiled up at him like he was smiling at me and he leaned in closer and closer....  
  
******  
  
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!! Don't worry, things do get sorted out (eventually). NO, THIS WILL NOT TURN INTO AN INU/KAG!!!!!! What it will turn into is a complicated sort of love triangle..., er, shape.  
  
WHY DID I PICK THIS PLOT FOR MY FIRST STORY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!  
  
Ok, really PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! THIS IS A TIME OF GREAT STRESS FOR ME IN THIS STORY (because, as is obvious, I cannot write romance of any kind) AND IF YOU WANT ME TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF FINISHING IT SOON, I WILL NEED SUPPORT!!!  
  
Reviewer Responses:  
  
Sayori-chan- Yea, I have too. Heh heh.  
  
As to bringing them closer together, I cannot make any promises, but some other things will. *evil laugh*  
  
Sukera- I am sorry for not updating in so long, but I could not get this chapter done in a loooooooooooooong time  
  
Missyeru- sniff, sniff, I'm so proud. ;___;  
  
... I don't know. I guess that I never thought of it. Smart, huh? I guess that she knows, but a lot of the time it is just more convenint to use raw power.  
  
antisocial mint- Once again, I came up with that idea a looooooooooooong time ago. As I believe I have mentioned, I think in weird ways. 


	19. Epilogue: Kissing Kagome

IMPORTANT!: THE SYMBOLS HAVE BEEN CHANGED!!!!!! (the stupid QuickEdit won't let me do the little wavy things or the star whachimits, and so oh well. Now everything has to be ...... GOMEN! I will re-edit this chapter as soon as they get the stupid system fixed.)

Ok, how can I put this?  
  
ME NO OWN INUYASHA OR CHARACTERS!  
  
Epilogue: Kissing Kagome  
  
(A/N: Yep, you read right! EPILOGUE!!!!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!!! Now, be nice people and don't hunt me down to throw bags of rotten tomatoes at me, and I will get the sequel up ASAP)  
  
.....Inuyasha  
  
I cannot justify my action more than this—I was so close to her, and then suddenly I could hear her heartbeat and smell the sweet, exotic scent that was uniquely hers and see her eyes that were so, so much bluer then I remembered them.  
  
After that it was like all reason flew out the window and for once I was not concerned with doing what would make me look good and wanted only to be close to her, and see what she tasted like.  
  
And so I kissed her.  
  
.....Kagome  
  
Look, I wont lie to you. Inuyasha was a really good kisser and I could feel my knees start to dissolve as he held me and I just went limp.  
  
I admit that I was feeling rather giddy.  
  
Was this really happening? Was Inuyasha really kissing me, or was this just a dream?  
  
It was wonderful whatever it was. But, however wonderful it might have been, it wasn't quite as I imagined it would be. I wasn't in ecstasy.  
  
.....Sesshoumaru  
  
My younger brother was kissing the girl that I had spent almost four days with.  
  
Feh, what did I care? It was not my concern.  
  
Even so, a tingling of unease fizzed in the back of my mind as anger stirred inside me.  
  
Quickly I beat them back until both were crouched, like animals ready to pounce, in the back of my mind, still ready to leap out again if given the chance, but submissive for the time being.  
  
Why?  
  
The girl was certainly strong enough to get herself out of this if she wished it so and that can be the only reason why I am thinking of this at all.  
  
After all, we took care of one another for all that time, and it must be that I have simply not adapted to the change yet.  
  
Strange.  
  
Under normal circumstances I usually change to fit my situation almost instantly.  
  
That could be the only reason that I felt anything though.  
  
.....Inuyasha  
  
I realized, as I held her there, and her aura mixed almost dizzyingly with my own, that I was falling in love with Kagome.  
  
Odd as it may seem, as I realized that a wave of guilt washed over me.  
  
Who was I to be happy when Kikyo, my first love and one whom I still cared about deeply, was so miserable, forced to wander the earth with no reprieve? What gave me the right to be happy when she could not? What gave me the right to love another when she could not?  
  
I started feeling almost dizzy, but no longer from the girl that I held, but confusion.  
  
I loved Kikyo, didn't I?  
  
But, then, didn't I love Kagome?  
  
.....Kagome  
  
After he broke the kiss, I spun away feeling that any second now I was bound to float up above the clouds.  
  
How could I not?  
  
Then I gradually came to a halt, still feeling an exhilarated rush. He loved me! Right? Of course he did; you cannot kiss a person like that unless you did.  
  
As I put my fingers lightly to my still tingling lips, I looked up and found that Sesshoumaru was looking at me.  
  
Suddenly I felt uneasy that he had seen me kiss his half-brother.  
  
Why?  
  
I didn't care what he thought.  
  
Did I?  
  
.....Rin  
  
Kagome-oneechan had just kissed a boy who looked a lot like Sesshoumaru- sama, but he wasn't as good as him. No one is as good as Sesshoumaru-sama.  
  
Sesshoumaru-sama didn't like it though, I could tell. Sometimes it is hard to tell what Sesshoumaru-sama is thinking, but not this time. Sesshoumaru- sama was trying not to look at Kagome-oneechan and he was a little bit more tense then normal and he was looking like he normally did but he looked a bit uneasy if you looked at his eyes and you knew him.  
  
Why did Sesshoumaru-sama care about Kagome-oneechan kissing anyone?  
  
I giggled and buried my face in Sesshoumaru-sama's white silk pant leg as he stood, wrapping my arms around his knees.  
  
.....Sesshoumaru  
  
I felt strangely relieved when the kiss was broken and stood as Rin clung to my legs.  
  
Ah well, first things first.  
  
Gently I shook the child off me and then walked up to the girl, giving her one of the rarest things in the world.  
  
My thanks.  
  
She had done more then almost anyone else I had ever known to help me, and so had earned it.  
  
Finally I turned after a polite bow of the head, I set off hunting down my retainer as I heard Rin crash through the brush after me, already singing cheerfully.  
  
Still, I could not shake my unease and even anger at the memory of my brother kissing the girl.  
  
Why did I even care?

.....

In the trees above, unnoticed by the entire party, a small creature crouched on a branch, taking everything in with its huge deep violet eyes. Long ears twitched as the black thing took in information.  
  
In shape it resembled a cat, but had hugely elongated ears—not unlike a rabbits. It had a coat that was a sooty black and did not gleam, but seemed to drink in the light instead, not reflecting any of it. It was an eerie effect, and the closest thing to it would be a deep pit that went far enough down there was only blackness.  
  
Finally, as the group disbanded, it turned and lept off after one, jumping lightly from tree to tree, never disturbing so much as a leaf.  
  
Unknown to him, Sesshoumaru was being followed.  
  
The Beginning] heh heh heh heh heh. Becha thought that it would end differently, huh? I swear, making my life more difficult seems to be a new hobby.  
  
For those of you who are thinking WHAT?!?!?!?!? I thought that this was going to be a Kag/Sess pairing!, fear not. Look for the sequel, Wheel Turning, to be coming out shortly.  
  
YES, THIS WILL, I REPEAT, WILL TURN INTO A SESS/KAG! I DID NOT ADVERTISE FALSLY. You can actually see how I am setting it up in the ep.  
  
IMPORTANT!: For those of you who are feeling the urge to hunt me down and do something exceedingly painful, just remember DEAD OR INCAPACITATED AUTHORS DO NOT WRITE SEQUELS!!! Just remember that, please!  
  
Ja ne! emeralddarkness  
  
PS, Wheel Turning might take a little while to come out, at the moment I am hitting a blank idea wise (I know what I want, just not how to get there) and if I keep banging my head against a wall, it will probably leave a dent. ;  
  
Gomen!  
  
Reviewer Responses: (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!!! Your reviews have been unimaginably helpful in getting the last bit out... and holy cow, there were a lot of 'em!)  
  
Sukera- Well, I updated, but I think that I left you in an even more evil place...  
  
migele- Now you know why a triangle. Ehe. AND YES, THIS WILL TURN INTO A SESS/KAG!!!!!  
  
inu-youkai 911- I'm glad that you like my style! PS. I know that it is not a tail. I belive that it is truly a keel. Confused? Don't worry, it is a mark of rank. See, in ancient Japan, there were a lot of different ranking symbols. Having longer hair was one of them, ( this distinction existed even within families, for example, Hiten's long braid vs. Manten's short ponytail, Sesshoumaru's well-kept lengths vs. Inuyasha's diseveled locks. But if you need more, look at the length of Kouga's hair as apposed to the rest of the pack) but another was animal fur. The pelts of various animals worn around the waist (ex, Manten with his fox pelt, Kouga with his wolf "skirt") show a more outlanish, aggressive leadership. Pelts worn on both shoulders (ex, Shippo's vest) show ranks slightly above peasents. However, the pelt of the wolf-hound (VERY rare back then in those parts) worn only on the right shoulder was ment only for the highest ranks and skills. My theory is that his pelt is his father's. The only reason that I wrote it as tail is that it makes thing simpler. Less explination needed. That answer your questions/comments? Just review if you spot something else.   
  
antisocial mint- Now you know, and for the last time THIS IS AND THE SEQUEL WILL BE SESS/KAG!!!!  
  
dragonpixie14- Yea, I know.  
  
Missyeru- Wow. I thought that everyone would be able to figure that one out. She knew because Inuyasha could stick his hand in the cave. It was only an idea, but when Rin managed to get out...  
  
angelfan2000- Ok, I did. Trust me, the sequel will be like this one, only a bit more fluffy, that is, IF I CAN EVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE!!!  
  
The Black Kat- Muahahahahahahahaa! More cliffies!  
  
Jade- Ummmm, I think that all of your questions have at this point been answered...  
  
Sayori-chan- Well, now you know what happened. By the way, it's sweet of you to say that I can write romance, but really, I already know that I can't. 


End file.
